From Book Confiscation To Market Inequality, NasDem Encourages DPR To Discuss Revision Of Book Law

Illustration of reading books (pixabay)

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the NasDem faction, Willy Aditya, encouraged the factions in Parliament to support the Revision of Law Number 3 of 2017 concerning the Booking System. He said collaboration between the community and parliament was needed to encourage the ratification of this bill.

This belief was conveyed by Willy after meeting literacy activists in Pasang, West Sumatra some time ago. The Book System Bill is a proposal for Willy Aditya's personal initiative as a legislator or member of the DPR.

"This is my personal initiative, and the DPR is not monolithic, there are 580 people, who have different head contents. I will do my job to ensure that other DPR factions support this bill," Willy told reporters, Tuesday, October 7.

"Meanwhile, my friends encouraged the DPR to ratify this. We are walking hand in hand for this," continued the legislator from the East Java XI electoral district.

Willy, who is also the Chairman of Commission XIII of the DPR RI, also said that his party was listening to public aspirations in the context of drafting a revision of the Law on the booking system.

"This is in the context of meansful participation, discussion on Problem Expenditures, for the Draft Law on Books which is my personal initiative as a member of the DPR," said Willy.

Willy revealed that many conveyed a number of crucial things, ranging from the difficulty of books by local writers found in their own areas, the lack of budget for public reading parks to the inequality of market access between large publishers and small bookstores.

"Several writers also suggested that local governments allocate a budget to buy books which are then placed in regional libraries," he said.

"There is also the spotlight on the practice of confiscation of books by the authorities, which are considered to threaten literacy freedom. They hope that the Book Bill also regulates this," added Willy.

In addition, said Willy, there is a reading park activist whose community complains about the condition of the community's reading gardens that are concerning. They experience a lack of funds to continue their activities, while support from the government is also minimal.

"The problem of competing in small bookstores with big publishers is also conveyed. Currently, there is a large publisher phenomenon that directly sells books to schools. The large publisher provides a large discount to the school so that students can buy books cheaper than books," said Willy.