Collective Solution Sought as National Library Budget Cuts Threaten Literacy Programmes

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat has urged for concrete measures and collective solutions to maintain the national literacy movement amid fiscal constraints at the National Library (Perpusnas). She was responding to a significant slash in Perpusnas’s 2026 budget ceiling, which has led to the termination of several strategic programmes. During a hearing with Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday (16/7), Head of Perpusnas E. Aminudin Aziz revealed the sharp budget decline had forced the complete cessation of the free book distribution programme to villages and reading parks, an initiative previously deemed successful. Moerdijat, popularly known as Rerie, asserted that the literacy movement must not be halted despite fiscal challenges. She emphasised the need to revive the spirit of mutual cooperation and creativity across all sectors. ‘Synergy between the central government, regional administrations, and the community must be strengthened with real action,’ Rerie stated on Monday (20/7). The latest Perpusnas data as of March 2026 indicates that the national Community Literacy Development Index (IPLM) stands at 40.6, placing Indonesia in the low literacy category. According to Rerie, the core issue is not merely reading interest but the lack of access to quality reading materials. As a member of the DPR’s Commission X, she reminded stakeholders that literacy is the foundation of national sovereignty. Without the ability to critically analyse information, she warned, the next generation risks losing competitiveness and eroding the nation’s sovereignty in the future. She concluded that consistency in literacy programmes is a non-negotiable imperative that must be championed across all sectors.