High Poverty Rate, Rp. 9 Billion From The Pacitan Regional Budget For The SBY Sakiti Rakyat Museum

Illustration (Photo: Twitter @PemkabPacitan)

JAKARTA - Grants from the East Java Provincial Government through the Pacitan Regional Budget amounting to Rp9 billion to build the SBY-Ani Museum and Gallery in Pacitan are considered to have offended the public.

This was conveyed by member of the East Java DPRD Deni Wicaksono in response to the public's spotlight on the news of the grant of grants to the Yudhoyono Foundation, which was busy on social media.

"Public money of Rp. 9 billion for an institution whose goal is a personal political image for a figure really hurts the hearts of the people, betrays the mandate of the people's suffering, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where people are in trouble," said Deni in a written statement to reporters on Wednesday. , February 17th.

According to him, instead of being donated to build a museum, the Rp9 billion in cash could be bought 900 thousand kilograms of rice and distributed to the poor. Not only that, this money is also considered to be able to provide internet data package assistance for more than 500 thousand students.

"Or it could provide scholarship assistance for students who have difficulty paying tuition fees during a pandemic," he said.

Furthermore, Deni said, the APBD as a fiscal instrument must be used according to the priority scale. Moreover, Pacitan Regency is one of the poverty centers in East Java.

"Poverty in Pacitan is very high, namely 14.54 percent as of 2020. This is among the highest in East Java. Likewise, the per capita income of the people of Pacitan is only Rp.28 million per person per year, only half of the average per capita income in East Java," he said.

"The Rp. 9 billion aid fund for the SBY Museum is an ironic thing in the midst of the fact that Pacitan's poverty is so great. Especially if we look at the shape of the SBY Museum like a luxurious palace, which is far from the realities of life of the people of Pacitan," he added.

Even if the reason for the assistance for the construction of the SBY Museum is to increase tourism, this is also inappropriate. This is because tourism development in this regency must be carried out with a cultural approach as well as infrastructure development, not with the SBY Museum.

"If Pak SBY wants to help the people of Pacitan, including to encourage tourism, he should build a museum about himself without the help of the regional budget, without the help of public money. This is a reversal, the people are asked to help institutions of political figures to build museums about the figures themselves, "said Deni.

In line with Deni, Chairman of the PDI-P Faction Sri Untari said that instead of building a museum, it is better if the grant funds are given to cultural heritage sites of ancestral heritage.

"Grants to cultural sites that were inherited from our ancestors in the past are much more important, because they contain the noble values of ethical teachings, rather than museums which are museums for the living. The museum places heroic memories for deceased figures," he concluded. .