According to the agency’s head, Dadan Hindayana, such a target was initially set by the end of 2025. However, President Prabowo Subianto wants it to be accelerated to September this year
"The acceleration requested by the president necessitates additional costs,” he remarked here on Saturday.
Hindayana clarified that his agency did not seek the additional budget, but rather, it was a directive from President Prabowo himself.
The government officially launched the free nutritious meals program on January 6, 2025. A budget of Rp71 trillion (around US$4.37 billion) has been allocated for the program.
However, the budget allocation was considered insufficient to serve the target of 82.9 million beneficiaries, comprising children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and schoolchildren up to high school age.
To secure the additional budget, Prabowo issued a presidential instruction on budget cuts worth Rp306.69 trillion.
These cuts include Rp256.1 trillion for efficiency in ministry and institutional spending and Rp50.59 trillion from transfers to regions.
Apart from the additional budget, the president also instructed all ministries and institutions to collaborate effectively in supporting the free meals program.
"The president wants this program to truly be cross-sectoral and instructed (all related ministries and institutions) to work together," Hindayana remarked.
To date, the free meals program is being implemented in 31 provinces across Indonesia, with a total of 238 nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG) preparing food for the program.
Since its launch, as many as 650 thousand children have begun receiving free meals at school. The program will continue to be implemented and expanded to reach a total of 15 million children by September 2025.
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Translator: Putu Indah Savitri, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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