The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu'ti, attended the symbolic send-off of trucks distributing the reading books from PT Pura Barutama in Kudus, Central Java, on Friday.
He stated that the assistance would reach 18,444 elementary schools and 6,165 junior high schools across 510 districts/cities throughout the country.
"Of the total 5,538,300 books distributed, 3,688,800 copies are allocated for elementary school students and 1,849,500 copies for junior high school students.
This program is supported by a budget of Rp40.66 billion (US$2.1 billion)," the minister explained.
The book assistance program follows President Prabowo Subianto's directive to foster reading and writing habits among Indonesian children as part of character development and efforts to improve the quality of the nation's human resources.
"This program is also part of our commitment to realizing quality education for all as an implementation of the fourth Asta Cita and a joint effort to prepare an intelligent and competitive Indonesian Golden Generation," Mu'ti remarked.
The ministry aims to complete the distribution of books to recipient schools nationwide by the end of August 2026, allowing them to be used immediately in classroom learning.
Beyond printed books, the ministry is also expanding access to quality reading materials in various formats to support learning.
During the event, Mu'ti outlined three integrated literacy policies promoted by the government, namely: cultivating reading habits, improving literacy skills, and ensuring access to reading materials.
Meanwhile, Pura Group President Director Bambang Handoko expressed appreciation for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education's trust in the company to print quality reading materials supporting literacy under the National Literacy Movement.
Previously, PT Pura Barutama participated in an open procurement tender process through the Electronic Procurement Service (LPSE) and secured a printing deal for 5,538,300 books for distribution this Friday.
Translator: Akhmad Nazaruddin, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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