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Comments on other issues: Surakarta museum facing financial crisis
Ancient texts: Two visitors look at several old manuscripts exhibited at the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java
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Ancient texts: Two visitors look at several old manuscripts exhibited at the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java. The museum, one of the oldest in the country, houses thousands of old manuscripts but around 80 percent of them are in a poor condition as a result of a lack of funds to preserve and maintain them.(JP/Ganug Nugroho Hadi) (JP/Ganug Nugroho Hadi)
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span class="inline inline-center">Ancient texts: Two visitors look at several old manuscripts exhibited at the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java. The museum, one of the oldest in the country, houses thousands of old manuscripts but around 80 percent of them are in a poor condition as a result of a lack of funds to preserve and maintain them.(JP/Ganug Nugroho Hadi)
Nov. 24, p5
One of Indonesia's oldest museums, Radya Pustaka in Surakarta, Central Java, is facing closure as a result of a lack of operating funds.Radya Pustaka Museum Committee head Purnomo Subagyo said on Monday that an Rp 80 million (US$5,850) grant from the Surakarta administration had not yet been disbursed.
'The committee will be forced to close the museum if the funding has not been disbursed by December. We cannot rely on the income from the museum's meager entrance fee,' he said, adding that the grant should have been disbursed in early October.'We will return the museum management to the Surakarta administration, the committee will not be involved any more.'
The museum, built in 1890 by Kanjeng Raden Adipati Sosrodiningrat IV, houses various items of old Javanese and Dutch literature as well as ancient artifacts and statues. Purnomo explained that the Surakarta administration allocated Rp 400 million for the museum's management. The funding is disbursed in three payments, 40 percent in both the first and second payments and the remaining 20 percent in the third payment.
Your comments:
Only Rp 400 million per year allocated to run a museum in a major, historical Indonesian city. Museums are a low priority for Indonesians. Museums depend on city allocated funds to operate.
Hardly anyone goes to the museum around here, any bakso (meatball soup) stall has more visitors.
Wandering Star
The museum will get Rp 80 million in three payments and the second payment is 40 percent, or Rp 32 million. How will it be able to spend Rp 50 million from the second payment when the payment only comes out to be Rp 32 million?
This matter should be investigated.
Pakpeter
Are there no altruistic Indonesians to step in and pay for this?
Indonesia Happening
Not going to help a museum in a country where the people don't care about history.
Charles Jarret
