Post by : Badri Ariffin

Indonesia has further reduced the budget for President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free school meals programme, lowering the allocation to 229 trillion rupiah (about $12.81 billion) from the previously planned 268 trillion rupiah. Senior officials overseeing the programme confirmed on Tuesday that additional budget reductions remain possible as the government continues its review.

The free meals initiative is President Prabowo's most significant and costly election promise. It has also become a major focus of discussions about Indonesia's fiscal position because of the programme's large financial commitment.

Original Budget Gradually Reduced

The programme was originally allocated 335 trillion rupiah for 2026, with a target of reaching 83 million recipients by the end of the year. The beneficiaries were expected to include school students and pregnant women, covering roughly 30% of Indonesia's population.

However, the government has gradually lowered the planned budget in an effort to improve efficiency while continuing the programme.

Last month, Reuters reported that Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (NNA) was considering budget reductions of more than $2 billion, along with plans to reduce both the number of beneficiaries and the number of kitchen operators involved in the programme.

Final Budget Still Under Review

Speaking at a press conference, Lili Khamiliyah, Secretary of the National Nutrition Agency, said President Prabowo has given the agency one month to determine the final budget after an internal review.

She explained that the current 229 trillion rupiah figure is only provisional and that further efficiency measures could still result in additional spending cuts.

Government Focuses on Improving Quality

According to Agustina Arumsari, Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency, the government is shifting its focus from meeting a specific beneficiary target to improving the quality of the programme.

"There will be reduction in the number of beneficiaries. The president no longer targets a certain number, but he wants improvement in quality so that there is no more food poisoning," Agustina Arumsari said.

Before the latest review, the agency had reported that the free meals programme had reached 62.5 million people.

Programme Faces Operational and Corruption Challenges

The free school meals programme began in January 2025 but has faced several challenges since its launch. These have included logistical difficulties, concerns over nutritional standards, and multiple cases of mass food poisoning.

The programme has also come under additional scrutiny after graft investigators last month arrested the National Nutrition Agency's former chief along with two other officials over corruption allegations.

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