President: Budget For Free Nutritious Meals To Be IDR10,000 Per Serving

President: Budget For Free Nutritious Meals To Be IDR10,000 Per Serving

Saturday, 30 Nov 2024

President Prabowo Subianto announced that the budget for the free nutritious meal program will be set at Rp 10,000 per serving. This statement was made following the announcement of a 6.5 percent increase in the minimum wage for 2025 at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, on Friday, November 29, 2024. "If we detail this nutritious program, we aim to provide an index of Rp 10,000 per day for each child and pregnant woman, approximately," Prabowo stated on Friday. He further explained that the government initially intended to allocate Rp 15,000 per serving for this program.

However, the government assessed that a nutritious meal package with a budget of Rp 10,000 per serving is sufficiently adequate and nutritious for consumption.

"We desire Rp 15,000 (per serving), but given the budgetary conditions, we believe that Rp 10,000 is sufficient for those regions and meets quality and nutritional standards," Prabowo remarked. The Head of State emphasized that the free nutritious meal program is designed to enhance the welfare of the population, including workers. Prabowo noted that families in the lowest income bracket typically have 3 to 4 children who require nourishment.

Consequently, through the free nutritious meal program, a family could receive between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000 daily. "This means each family can receive a minimum of Rp 30,000 per day. Over a month, this totals approximately Rp 2.7 million," Prabowo explained. He also affirmed that the government will provide various forms of social assistance to those in need.

Therefore, if all of this is supported by social assistance and other social benefits, including the Family Hope Program (PKH) and various other aids, I believe the government's efforts to secure all layers of society, including the labor group, have reached a significant level at this time. Of course, we aim to improve in the future, stated Prabowo.

Previously, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, revealed that the budget for the free nutritious meal program included in the state budget (APBN) is set at IDR 15,000 per portion. However, its implementation is flexible and adjusts to the local food prices. "The calculation in the state budget is IDR 15,000 per child, but it will be flexible depending on the cost of living in the area," Dadan mentioned at the Presidential Palace Complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

He did not rule out the possibility of cross-subsidies by reallocating remaining budgets from regions with lower food costs to those with higher expenses. "There may be some areas that receive less than IDR 15,000; the surplus will be sent to regions that indeed require a larger budget. Thus, it is determined in the state budget per child. However, the implementation depends on the execution in each respective area," he explained. Nevertheless, Prabowo subsequently indicated that the budget for lunch has been set at IDR 10,000 per portion. (ridwan@insightinnews.com)

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