Minister Ensures Phase II 'Sekolah Rakyat' Buildings Ready for Use by July

Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo has confirmed that Phase II of the Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) buildings will be ready for use by July 2026. “We have agreed with the Ministry of Social Affairs that by July, the students can move into the actual school buildings,” Dody said in Jakarta on Friday. He noted that the national construction progress for Phase II has likely reached nearly 81 per cent. According to Dody, global geopolitical tensions arising from the United States-Iran conflict have had a significant impact, causing building material and fuel prices to rise, which has somewhat slowed the construction process. However, he stressed that this is not an excuse, and the Ministry of Public Works is striving to ensure the Phase II construction is fully completed. “We are still making maximum efforts so that the construction of all 93 Phase II Sekolah Rakyat can be functional. But I also have to be realistic; in some locations, like Brebes in Central Java, it is quite challenging. However, I am confident that more than 90 per cent of the 93 sites will be functional. Our hope is 100 per cent,” Dody stated. He also announced that the ministry has begun the tender process for Phase III of the Sekolah Rakyat construction. “We have also started the tender for Phase III. The target is for it to be completed by December,” he said. In addition to accelerating Phase II, the ministry is preparing Phase III, which consists of Phase IIIA with 7 locations already in the tender process, Phase IIIB with 11 locations under tender preparation, and Phase IIIC with 89 locations still requiring the fulfilment of readiness criteria. Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf expressed appreciation for the Public Works Ministry’s support in accelerating the provision of facilities and infrastructure for Sekolah Rakyat. He noted that the ministry had provided extraordinary support, particularly in supplying the necessary facilities and infrastructure. He acknowledged that field challenges were substantial, but the Public Works Minister had been directly involved and continued to push for acceleration so that the facilities could be utilised for the new academic year.