Govt issues regulation on implementation of Advancement of Culture Law

After two years of advocacy by Koalisi Seni, President Joko Widodo on 24 August passed Government Regulation Number 87 of 2021 which regulates the implementation of Law Number 5 of 2017 on Advancement of Culture that was enacted in 2017. 

The government regulation consists of all derivative regulations that are mandated by the Advancement of Culture Law, including the provision of the Master Plan for the Advancement of Culture (RIPK), Integrated Culture Data Collection System (SPKT); inventory, security, maintenance and rescue of the objects of advancement of culture; and the criteria for recipients of and the mechanism for incentives related to the promotion of culture.

However, in order to ensure the success in the implementation of the regulation, Koalisi Seni notes that local governments should take active participation according to the needs of their respective areas. 

The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry should, as soon as possible, issue a ministerial regulation that will serve as a technical guide on cultural promotion and issue permits for the use of objects of cultural advancement by foreign parties and big industries. 

Therefore, with the issuance of the presidential regulation, both the central and local governments will no longer have any reason to delay the implementation of the Advancement of Culture Law. It will also strengthen cultural mainstreaming efforts in the national development plan through the RIPK. 

However, the drafting of the RIPK is currently halted because President Widodo still hasn’t passed on the so-called Cultural Strategy which was drafted in 2018. If the RIPK is complete and adopted into the national development plan, there will be more government policies on and budget allocation for cultural promotion.

“The issuance of this government regulation does not necessarily guarantee that all cultural promotion could be implemented properly. Cultural and arts activists should still continue to carry out advocacy efforts to pressure the government so they will immediately take action and do all of its obligations,” said Coordinator of Koalisi Seni Oming Putri.