Indonesia to \u2018refocus\u2019 free meal programme on quality; no longer\nprioritising 83 million target<\/p>\n
The agency will also be cutting back on new kitchens and targeting\nrecipients in more remote areas, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, the new chief\nof the National Nutrition Agency, said on Thursday (Jun 4).<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: The Indonesian agency overseeing President Prabowo\nSubianto\u2019s flagship free meals initiative says it is no longer\nprioritising its target of reaching 82.9 million beneficiaries this\nyear, shifting its focus instead to improving the quality of the\nprogramme\u2019s implementation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is possible we will not pursue the target of 82 million\n(beneficiaries) but instead, we want these kitchens to be healthy and\nprovide nutritious meals,\u201d said Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, the new chief of\nthe National Nutrition Agency, on Thursday (Jun 4) as quoted by local\nnews outlet Detik.<\/p>\n
She was speaking a day after her predecessor was arrested on\ncorruption charges relating to the way the scheme was run.<\/p>\n
The agency will also \u201crefocus\u201d its budget by cutting back on new\nkitchens and targeting recipients in more remote areas, Nanik said.<\/p>\n
She added that the agency\u2019s new focus is to improve kitchens that are\nalready operational so that they meet health and food-quality\nstandards.<\/p>\n
Kitchens that fail to meet these standards will be evaluated and may\nface temporary suspension, she warned, adding that the agency would also\nfocus on prioritising recipients living in remote areas.<\/p>\n
To ease the pressures on the state budget, the nutrition agency is\nconsidering other sources of funding for the programme, including grants\nor corporate social responsibility programmes from private companies,\nshe said.<\/p>\n
The agency would also determine which areas have sufficient kitchens\nand limit new applications, she said. There are over 27,000 kitchens\noperational across the archipelago.<\/p>\n
In the underdeveloped and outermost areas, the agency plans to use\nalternative models such as school canteens and community kitchens to\nreduce infrastructure costs, reported Jakarta Globe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have to build new kitchens, we can also use existing\nfacilities like school canteens,\u201d Nanik reportedly said.<\/p>\n
Priority will be given to vulnerable groups, including pregnant\nwomen, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers, local media reported.<\/p>\n
Nanik added that the new budget priorities came after the Southeast\nAsian country slashed the allocation for the programme this year to 268\ntrillion rupiah (US$14.87 billion) from the initial 335 trillion\nrupiah.<\/p>\n
Nanik\u2019s predecessor, Dadan Hindayana, was arrested for alleged\ncorruption offences, including marking up procurement prices. He was\nearlier sacked by Prabowo on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the agency\u2019s new deputy head Agustina Arumsari on Thursday\nsaid reforms would also focus on stronger internal controls, improved\ndata integration, and more systematic monitoring to ensure\naccountability, Jakarta Globe reported.<\/p>\n
The ambitious free meals programme was a key part of Prabowo\u2019s\ncampaign to win the presidency in 2024, with the government budgeting at\nleast US$15 billion to provide free meals to 83 million children and\npregnant women across the sprawling archipelago.<\/p>\n
The free meals programme has come under intense scrutiny since its\nlaunch in January 2025, with investors wary of Prabowo\u2019s big spending\nplans and worried that fiscal deficit thresholds could be\nchallenged.<\/p>\n
The programme has been linked to cases of food poisoning that had\naffected at least 33,000 children as of April, according to Network for\nEducation Watch, a non-governmental organisation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-to-refocus-free-meal-programme-on-quality-no-longer-prioritising-83-million-target-1780638618", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }