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Prabowo promises Rp 450t free school lunch program
The defense minister has made a campaign pledge of a whopping per annum fund of US$28.7 billion toward a national school lunch program to tackle childhood stunting and malnutrition, but one that omits a targeted rate and time frame, unlike his rivals'.
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Prabowo Subianto (left) and Gibran Rakabuming Raka announce their candidacy at the Indonesia Arena of the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Jakarta on Oct. 25, 2023. Later that day, the pair registered with the General Elections Commission (KPU) to contest the 2024 presidential election. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
Prabowo Subianto has promised that if he wins next year’s election, he will allocate an annual fund totaling Rp 450 trillion (US$28.7 billion) to provide free lunches for students from preschool to senior high school, including pesantren (Islamic boarding schools).
The defense minister and Gerindra Party chairman, who is running for president under the Gerindra-led Onward Indonesia Coalition, said a national school lunch program was needed to tackle the country’s high prevalence of childhood malnutrition and stunting.
"From our calculation, between Rp 400 trillion to Rp 450 trillion” was needed for the program, Prabowo told dozens of economists on Wednesday at an event in Jakarta.
The pledge is roughly two-thirds of the 2023 education budget, totaling Rp 603.8 trillion.
It is also equal to this year’s combined budget of the four largest state institutions, namely the defense, public works and health ministries and the National Police.
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In his Vision and Mission campaign document, Prabowo’s school lunch program targets reaching more than 80 million people by 2029. He also plans to provide nutritional assistance to pregnant women and infants nationwide.
