This Is The Reason The Chairman Of The DPD RI La Nyalla Wants Artists And Cultural People To Need Help During The COVID-19 Pandemic

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 pandemic has also hit the arts and culture sector. Therefore, the Chairman of the DPD RI, AA La Nyalla Mahmud Mattalitti, pays attention to the artists and culturalists who cannot do their jobs after the implementation of the Emergency PPKM. According to him, they deserve government assistance.

The East Java senator admitted that he had received many complaints from art workers and culturalists whose incomes decreased drastically during the pandemic. “Because it is not included in the essential or critical sector, arts and cultural activities are not a priority.

As a result, art activities, including performing arts, are also subject to restrictions because it is feared to cause crowds," said La Nyalla during a recess in Madiun, Saturday, July 31. Sculptures in Jatisource Hamlet, Watesumpak Village, Trowulan, Mojokerto, which is the center for andesite stone sculptures, admit that they have difficulty marketing their work.

However, arts and cultural workers in Mojokerto Regency did not give up on this condition. Sculpture artists in Mojokerto even chose to fly the red and white flag to celebrate the Independence Day. In this way, they inflame the spirit of never giving up in the face of the Corona pandemic.

“This kind of fighting spirit is what we need. Even though the conditions are tough, if we keep our spirits up, I'm sure it will make it easier for us to keep fighting. The positive attitude of the artists and culturalists in Mojokerto must be an inspiration,” said La Nyalla, who gave appreciation for the spirit of the artists.

According to La Nyalla, so far the main focus has been on the formal sector and micro-enterprises. Even though there are many informal sectors that are also badly affected by the pandemic. "So far, we have talked about the severity of the pandemic for MSMEs, tourism, transportation. We often forget that the informal sector, like our friends, artists and culturalists, is also very affected. Moreover, art workers now rely on their works to earn a living and now their opportunities to work are very limited,” said La Nyalla.

La Nyalla asked the government to allocate special assistance for artists and culturalists. Like the BLT program for artists that was launched last year. "We hope that this program will continue this year. Because the financial assistance will certainly help artists survive, including meeting the needs of their families," he said.

For information, the Government provides BLT social assistance to art workers or artists in the amount of Rp. 1 million in 2020 with an allocation of Rp. 26.5 billion to protect 26,500 art and cultural actors whose livelihoods are affected by COVID-19.

This is given by the government through the Ministry of Finance, because the COVID-19 pandemic is considered to have paralyzed the economy of the community, including art workers. "The social assistance from the government must be distributed evenly to all residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many arts and cultural workers have not been touched by assistance. I think the local government should also have a special allocation to help these 2 sectors," said La Nyalla.

“Some local governments, such as West Java, have allocated Rp 50 billion for social assistance for street vendors to artists and culturalists. The distribution of food and cash assistance has also been running. Other regions need to follow suit," he added.

La Nyalla also hopes that the local government can also facilitate art activities and the works of artists and culturalists in digital form. This is considered as one of the efforts to recover the economy. “These artists and culturalists still have to work to support their families. The government must think about what it can do to facilitate artists and cultural observers,” said La Nyalla.

According to him, the government can take advantage of artists and culturalists to socialize the handling of COVID-19. In the regions, said La Nyalla, local governments can involve street artists.