Indonesia Launches Free Meal Initiative to Boost Nutritional Standards
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Jakarta, Jan 6 (NationPress) Indonesia has officially rolled out its free meal initiative on Monday, a significant strategy by the government spearheaded by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, aimed at improving the nutrition of its citizens.
"Our objective is to support three million beneficiaries from January to April," stated Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency, on Monday. He highlighted that the initiative will be carried out in phases, with daily assessments to guarantee effective implementation.
The initial phase will be launched in 26 out of the country’s 38 provinces, with a focus on school students as the first demographic to receive support. Following this, the programme will extend to include toddlers, pregnant women, and mothers who are breastfeeding.
Hasan Nasbi, head of the Indonesian Presidential Communication Office, shared that 190 kitchens are currently in operation to provide meals across these 26 provinces. He expressed optimism that the initiative will reach a target of 937 kitchens by the end of January, with an ultimate aim of 5,000 kitchens by the conclusion of 2025, which could serve up to 20 million beneficiaries, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In August, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Indonesia's Finance Minister, disclosed the government’s plans to broaden the scope of the free meal initiative to not only benefit school students but also pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
"The government has reached an agreement with parliamentary factions to ensure that the free meal initiative, financed by the state budget, will also encompass pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers," Indrawati conveyed during a parliamentary hearing in the last week of August 2024.
The initiative is designed to enhance nutritional adequacy, boost child intelligence, prevent stunting, and ultimately improve the quality of human resources in Indonesia, Indrawati added.
Preventing stunting remains a vital focus for the government, which successfully reduced its prevalence from 37.2 percent in 2013 to 21.5 percent in 2023.
The government has allocated around 71 trillion rupiah (approximately $4.57 billion), equating to 0.29 percent of the gross domestic product, to this initiative. Moreover, it aims to stimulate economic growth by approximately 0.10 percent through the employment of 820,000 workers from Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) associated with the programme.
