"The free lunches, which have extraordinary value, have entered the market, and in fact, they are turning the wheels of the economy, contributing to economic growth," Ichwan remarked at the BKPM office in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Ichwan, the MBG program has successfully shifted state spending from funding ministries and institutions' activities to market spending to provide food for children.
The deputy noted that the MBG program is an initiative by President Prabowo Subianto to combat corruption.
Ichwan believes corruption has occurred within programs at ministries and institutions, causing funds to be withheld by the corruptors.
"That is what the president is doing: he is targeting all corruptors. He is not awarding them programs, so they cannot commit corruption. We are using the money by injecting it into the market, and the economy is growing," Ichwan stated.
Earlier, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced that Indonesia's economic growth in the second quarter of 2025 reached 5.12 percent year-on-year (yoy), with a gross domestic product (GDP) value of Rp5,947 trillion (US$368.71 billion).
"Economic growth in the second quarter of 2025 was recorded at 5.12 percent year-on-year compared to the second quarter of 2024. The quarterly growth figure was 4.04 percent compared to the previous quarter," Deputy for Balance Sheet and Statistical Analysis at BPS, Mohammad Edy Mahmud, stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, August 5.
BPS data indicates that economic growth in the second quarter of 2025, based on business sectors, showed positive growth across all sectors.
The sectors contributing most to GDP were manufacturing, agriculture, trade, and mining, accounting for a total of 63.59 percent of the GDP.
Regarding expenditure, in the second quarter of 2025, all components experienced positive growth annually, except for government consumption. Household consumption grew by 4.97 percent in the second quarter, and gross fixed capital formation increased by 6.99 percent.
In the same report, BPS reported that household consumption contributed the largest share to GDP, at 54.25 percent, and was a key driver of economic growth, contributing 2.64 percent of the total 5.12 percent national economic growth.
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Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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