Indonesia launches free meal program for 83 million people

Indonesia begins free meal program, targeting 83 million people by 2029.

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Indonesia’s ambitious free meal program, aimed at providing meals to over 83 million people, officially began on Monday.

The initiative, part of President Prabowo Subianto's election campaign, was launched quietly, with no official ceremony.

On the first day, 570,000 people in more than 20 provinces received meals from 190 kitchens. The program primarily targeted school children and pregnant women.

This large-scale effort is expected to reach 82.9 million people by 2029, covering nearly a third of Indonesia's population. However, the program has been controversial due to its high cost.

Initially estimated at $28 billion over five years, it is now projected to cost 71 trillion rupiah ($4.39 billion) in its first phase, which aims to provide meals to 15 million people this year.

At an elementary school in West Jakarta, students received meals including rice, fried chicken, fried tofu, beans, and an orange.

Hana Yohana, a parent of a first grader, expressed her relief, saying the program made her morning routine easier by removing the need to prepare food.

Prabowo has defended the initiative, emphasizing its importance in tackling child malnutrition and stimulating local economic growth.

Photo: Reuters

The government and military are working together to prepare and distribute the meals, with plans to expand the program gradually. By March, the number of recipients is expected to reach 3 million.

The program also includes milk distribution, though not daily, and efforts to increase milk production by importing dairy cows from Australia.