Books are considered basic need<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The nation's commitment to improving its human
\nresources took a step forward yesterday with the House of
\nRepresentatives giving support to making books one of Indonesia's
\nbasic needs.<\/p>\n
National Library head Mastini Hardjoprakoso said after a
\nmeeting with House Commission IX for religion, education and
\nsport, that legislators would propose books be listed in the 1998
\nState Guidelines as a basic need.<\/p>\n
She said legislators would support the eventual elimination of
\ntaxes on books, to make them cheap enough for people to buy and
\nread.<\/p>\n
"We suggested books be made Indonesia's tenth basic need,
\nalong with rice, sugar... and we got the House's support," she
\nsaid after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's basic needs are officially: salt, salted fish,
\ndetergent, mori (unbleached cloth for batik), cooking oil,
\nkerosene and synthetic materials.<\/p>\n
Mastini said the state planned to give priority to developing
\nlibraries in the remote areas of Eastern Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Despite living in simple conditions and there being a scarcity
\nof books, children in rural areas were not unenthusiastic about
\nreading books, she said.<\/p>\n
"I often ask them whether they like reading or not, and they
\nreply 'yes, but there are no more books left'," she said.<\/p>\n
Only last year Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
\nDjojonegoro reportedly refused to reduce the tax on books.<\/p>\n
As reported by Kompas, Wardiman blamed poor reading, not high
\nprices, for poor book sales. (09)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/books-are-considered-basic-need-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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