The director of the Ukrainian Book Institute, Oleksandra Koval, has appealed to the government with a proposal to allow state aid funds from the “Schoolchild’s Package” to be spent on the purchase of books. Currently, the program only covers the purchase of stationery, children’s clothing, shoes, and backpacks.
According to Koval, the opportunity to buy books — for pleasure, not just for learning — could bring publishers additional income and at the same time contribute to the formation of a reading culture from childhood. “The formation of a Ukrainian person begins at an early age, and not with sneakers, but with words, thoughts, and conclusions that are most reliably obtained from books,” she wrote on Facebook.
The director of the Book Institute noted that the list of permitted MCC codes (merchant categories for card payments) currently does not include those related to bookstores, in particular MCC 5942 and 5192. The program’s participants currently include sellers of children’s and family clothing, footwear, and school supplies.
Read also: The “ePidtrymka” program to provide new incentives for the development of Ukrainian publishing
The proposal was also supported by Yevheniia Kravchuk, deputy chair of the parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, who called it a “good idea.”
As a reminder, in July, the government launched the “Schoolchild Package” program — a one-time payment of 5,000 hryvnia for families whose children are going to school offline for the first time. The assistance can be applied for through the “Dія” app, and the money can only be spent cashless — in stores that meet the program’s conditions.
The Ministry of Social Policy notes that one of the program’s goals is to support Ukrainian families and encourage them to remain in Ukraine despite the war.
Read also: Ukrainian book Behind Blue Eyes is shortlisted for prestigious book design competition
