STRAIGHTTIME.ASIA, INDONESIA – The Riau Islands Provincial Government is stepping up efforts to accelerate the implementation of Indonesia’s People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat) Program, one of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship national education initiatives aimed at expanding equal access to quality education across the country.
The province reaffirmed its commitment after Riau Islands Vice Governor Nyanyang Haris Pratamura conducted an on-site inspection of the proposed People’s School development area in Mapar Hamlet, Melar Village, Lingga District, Lingga Regency, on Monday.
The inspection was attended by Lingga Regent Muhammad Nizar, officials from various provincial and regency government agencies, representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, and technical teams responsible for accelerating the project’s implementation.
Nyanyang explained that the visit followed a recent coordination meeting with Indonesia’s central government regarding the acceleration of People’s School projects in several districts and municipalities throughout the Riau Islands Province.
According to him, the provincial government wants to ensure that all administrative requirements and land preparation are completed as quickly as possible so construction can begin without unnecessary delays.
“Today we immediately visited the site following yesterday’s coordination meeting with the regency government and all related stakeholders. We hope every remaining obstacle can be resolved promptly so the People’s School project can proceed according to schedule,” Nyanyang said.
He revealed that procurement tenders for four regions—Lingga Regency, Anambas Islands Regency, Natuna Regency, and Tanjungpinang City—are expected to be launched during the second week of July 2026.
Nyanyang noted that previous procurement attempts had failed several times, prompting the central government to revise the procurement mechanism by separating several components to improve efficiency and accelerate implementation.
He therefore urged the Lingga Regency Government to immediately complete all regional responsibilities, including land clearing, Spatial Utilization Suitability Approval (PKKPR), Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL), and other supporting administrative documents.
“I received a direct assignment after our coordination meeting with the Director General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Public Works to ensure regional readiness. I have asked the Regent to accelerate every preparation so that once the tender process is completed, physical construction can begin immediately,” he emphasized.
Nyanyang expressed optimism that if every stage proceeds as planned, construction could officially commence in early 2027.
He stressed that the Riau Islands must move swiftly to secure the national program, considering that approximately 500 regencies and cities across Indonesia have also proposed People’s School developments.
“We cannot afford to wait until 2028 or 2029. Around 500 local governments have submitted proposals for this program. Therefore, we must act quickly so the Riau Islands becomes one of the first provinces to successfully implement the People’s School initiative,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lingga Regent Muhammad Nizar reaffirmed his administration’s full support for the national education program.
He confirmed that land for the project has already been prepared, while administrative processes—including the Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) and Traffic Impact Analysis (Andalalin)—are currently underway and are expected to be completed by October 2026.
“In accordance with the Vice Governor’s instructions, we have secured the land. Administrative requirements such as AMDAL and traffic impact analysis are currently being processed, and we are targeting completion by October this year,” Nizar said.
He emphasized that the Lingga Regency Government remains fully committed to supporting strategic national programs introduced by the central government, including the People’s School initiative, which is expected to significantly improve educational opportunities for communities, particularly in remote areas.
“Our principle is clear: we fully support every program initiated by the President. The most important thing is that the land is ready, so when construction begins, everything will already be in place,” Nizar concluded.(Iman Suryanto)
