Fair competition for textbooks vital

Fair competition for textbooks vital

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Book Publishers Association
(IKAPI) called on the government on Tuesday to deregulate the
business of publishing mandatory school textbooks in order to
invigorate the industry.

IKAPI chairman Arselan Harahap told reporters that by
promoting open and fair competition, many publishing houses,
including those in the region, would have a better chance of
surviving the tough economic times.

The government should allow all publishers to produce and sell
mandatory school textbooks, the right of which were currently
only given out to publishers contracted after competitive
tenders.

A dose of competition would compel all publishers to strive to
produce better textbooks, Arselan said.

"It will encourage entrepreneurs in the regions to open
publishing houses and produce quality books," he said during a
media briefing on IKAPI's annual Indonesia Book Fair, which opens
at the Jakarta Convention Center on Wednesday.

Indonesia's book-publishing industry has been badly hurt by
the economic crisis over the last four years. IKAPI now counts
just 450 members, down from 650 before the crisis, 90 percent of
these are located on Java.

With the sales of general books in the doldrums, the business
of publishing government-mandated school textbooks is one of the
few sectors that offered publishers some respite. The government
traditionally tenders the right to publish school textbooks, a
practice that allegedly is wrought with corruption.

Arselan said the government would not completely wash its
hands by subjecting the business of publishing mandatory school
textbooks to open competition.

"The government still has to provide guidelines for these
textbooks according to the national curriculum," he said. "The
government must also monitor the quality of the books," he added.

These mandatory books are distributed freely to government-run
schools throughout the country. They are then lent to students.

Instead of allocating money to publishers to provide free
books, the government should give the money to schools, which in
turn would decide which textbooks were more suitable for their
students, Arselan said. (07)