MPR Deputy Speaker Says National Literacy Improvement Must Not Stop

People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat is urging collective solutions to tackle the impact of the National Library’s (Perpusnas) budget constraints. She stressed that this must receive serious attention as part of efforts to improve national literacy. “A number of concrete steps must be taken immediately so that the national literacy movement does not stall. Reviving mutual cooperation and creativity at all levels could be a solution for the sustainability of the literacy movement,” said Lestari Moerdijat on Monday (20/7/2026). During a Hearing with House of Representatives (DPR) Commission X on Thursday (16/7), Perpusnas Head E. Aminudin Aziz stated that with a 2026 budget ceiling of Rp 377.9 billion, the programme to distribute free books to villages and reading gardens, which had been running successfully, was forced to be halted entirely. Previously, in 2025, Perpusnas received a budget allocation of Rp 721.6 billion. According to Lestari, the community literacy improvement programme must be carried out consistently and should not operate in silos. “Synergy between the central government, regional governments, and the community must be strengthened with real action,” she explained. She noted that the latest Perpusnas data shows the national Community Literacy Development Index (IPLM) as of March 2026 remains at 40.6, which falls into the low category. A number of concrete steps must be taken immediately, including enhancing the role of regional governments in promoting a reading culture and literacy, as well as strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration involving the business sector, literacy activists, and communities. “One of the main problems of literacy is not merely a lack of interest in reading, but rather the low access to quality reading materials. Shared creativity is needed to reach remote areas, for example by maximising the role of Community Reading Gardens (TBM) spread across the regions,” she stated. Furthermore, she urged the implementation of book-friendly fiscal policies, including the elimination of Value Added Tax (PPN) on books and on paper as a raw material for books. “Literacy is the foundation of national sovereignty. If the next generation is unable to analyse information properly due to low literacy skills, it could potentially erode the nation’s sovereignty in the future,” she concluded.