Jakarta - The state-owned enterprise under the Defense Ministry, Danantara, has received a significant new mandate from its superior, Defense Minister and President-Elect Prabowo Subianto. The instruction is to formulate a dedicated business scheme for the cinema sector. This move is interpreted as a strategic step to provide structural support and a new operational framework for an industry deemed vital for national culture and the creative economy.
Prabowo's directive positions Danantara as an instrument of industrial policy beyond its conventional defense sector role. It highlights an evolving vision where state-owned enterprises are deployed to address specific economic and cultural challenges. The cinema industry's struggle to find a sustainable post-pandemic model appears to have prompted this high-level intervention.
The scope of the business scheme remains to be detailed but is expected to cover aspects from infrastructure management and ticketing systems to potentially content funding and distribution. Danantara's involvement suggests a preference for a centralized, state-managed approach to creating a more resilient industry architecture, possibly involving partnerships or new subsidiary entities.
Industry recovery has been uneven since the peak of the pandemic, with major urban centers seeing faster rebounds compared to smaller cities. A nationally orchestrated scheme could aim to ensure equitable access to cinema entertainment and cultural products across the archipelago, aligning with broader goals of inclusive development.
From a governance perspective, this directive blurs the lines between defense, commercial, and cultural functions of the state. It raises practical questions about Danantara's expertise in cinema management and its ability to cultivate the creative collaborations necessary for success. The company may need to recruit external talent or form joint ventures with experienced private sector players.
Economists note that this represents a form of industrial policy where the state acts as a market architect. The success of such interventions historically depends on meticulous implementation, adaptability to consumer behavior, and avoidance of bureaucratic inefficiencies that could hinder the creative process essential for film.
The coming months will be crucial for Danantara to translate this presidential directive into a viable blueprint. Market research, feasibility studies, and stakeholder consultations must be conducted to ensure the proposed scheme is both innovative and grounded in the realities of the Indonesian entertainment market.
Ultimately, this mandate is a bold experiment in state-led cultural industry development. It reflects Prabowo's confidence in the ability of state-owned enterprises to catalyze change in non-traditional sectors and sets the stage for a potentially transformed landscape for Indonesian cinema in the years ahead.