Indonesian Funds are Made Easier, Fadli Zon: Cultural Actors Should Not Be Complicated by Bureaucracy

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon received a visit from the Education Fund Management Agency or LPDP of the Ministry of Finance at the Ministry of Culture Office, Jakarta, Thursday, May 21, 2026 (doc Kemenbud)

JAKARTA - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon asked that the management of the Indonesian Raya Fund and the Abadi Cultural Fund be made simpler so that it can be accessed more widely by cultural actors in the regions.

This was conveyed by Fadli when receiving a visit from the Education Fund Management Agency or LPDP of the Ministry of Finance at the Ministry of Culture Office, Jakarta, Thursday, May 21.

According to Fadli, many art communities, sanggar, and indigenous people have difficulty accessing cultural funding programs due to administrative and bureaucratic issues.

"We want there to be a simplification of the process without reducing the principles of transparency and accountability," said Fadli.

He assessed that criticism of the complexity of the Indonesian Raya Fund mechanism in the previous implementation should be the subject of evaluation.

Therefore, the Ministry of Culture has prepared a support service center to help the cultural community in the process of submitting, reporting, and managing programs.

Fadli also asked the Cultural Preservation Office and Office to be more active in accompanying cultural actors in the region so that the program does not stop only at the central level.

According to Fadli, the Indonesian Raya Fund is directed to support strategic cultural activities, ranging from the Indonesian Music Festival, the Indonesian Music Awards, Sanfest, book writing by the community and historians, to strengthening the regional cultural economy.

Fadli menilai ekonomi budaya penting dijaga di tengah situasi geopolitik global yang tidak menentu.

"The cultural economy in the region must continue to survive. Cultural activities can help maintain social stability while directly driving the community's economy," he said.

Apart from funding, the meeting also discussed the development of LPDP scholarships in the field of culture. The discussion includes mapping study programs and universities that are considered relevant to support the Indonesian cultural sector.

Fadli hopes that the recipients of the cultural scholarship will not only become academics, but also serve as ambassadors for Indonesian culture at the international level.

LPDP Finance and General Director Albertus Kurniadi H. said the number of beneficiaries of the Cultural Endowment Fund increased sharply compared to the previous year.

According to Albertus, the LPDP will strengthen the governance of the Cultural Endowment Fund so that the distribution of the Indonesian Raya Fund is more effective and targeted.

"The number of recipients of the Cultural Endowment Fund has increased dramatically from the previous year, and this is an incentive for us to be able to carry out our duties well," said Albertus.

The Ministry of Culture and LPDP also discussed cluster-based assistance for cultural actors so that the selection and training process is more targeted.

The meeting was also attended by a number of officials from the Ministry of Culture and LPDP, including the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture Bambang Wibawarta and the Director of LPDP Scholarship Dwi Larso.