Free Meals for Students in Indonesia, President Prabowo Pledges to Bring Smiles to Over 80 Million People
Jakarta, January 31 – Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has allocated an additional 100 trillion rupiah ($6.14 billion) for his renowned free meal program, which is expected to contribute approximately 2 percentage points to the country's economic growth, according to the President’s advisor, Hashim Djojohadikusumo.
The program, launched earlier this year, initially aimed to provide food assistance to 17.5 million people with a budget of 71 trillion rupiah. However, with the new allocation, the program is expected to expand to cover nearly 40 million people by 2025 and over 83 million by the end of this year.
Indonesia’s GDP growth target for this year is 5.2 percent. The free school meals initiative has already garnered significant popularity for President Prabowo, with recent surveys showing his approval rating reaching nearly 81 percent within his first 100 days in office.
However, the program's high costs have raised concerns in Indonesia’s financial markets. Experts have warned about the potential risks of additional debt, which could impact the country’s financial stability.
Advisor Hashim clarified that the additional budget would be sourced through spending cuts in other areas rather than new debt. Furthermore, Prabowo’s government is also considering issuing housing bonds to fulfill its promise of providing affordable housing.
