Bali will soon have an official agency dedicated to promoting its traditional villages: Governor
Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced earlier today that the island province will soon have an official agency dedicated to the promotion and progress of desa adat, or traditional villages.
“It’s been approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, I received the letter just last night … I am very happy.
There have been a number of completed governor regulations, but this makes me happiest,” Koster said, as quoted by Detik.
According to the governor, there are almost 1,500 desa adat in Bali, but there are no existing regulations aimed at protecting their cultural aspects. He also added that some traditional villages have existed on the island for thousands of years.
“There has never been any local regulations [for desa adat], no agency to handle matters concerning it – we have neglected matters concerning desa adat for too long,” Koster said.
With the establishment of a Traditional Village Promotion Agency, Koster said the provincial government plans to develop a main assembly building, for which a budget of IDR 8.5 billion (USD 600,000) is being allocated.
In addition, Koster said future plans include forming a guidance team for every desa adat, comprising members of the public, scholars and college students.
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