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Kalla warns free meals program cannot shield RI from Trump tariffs
Presidential spokesman Hasan Nasbi said on Thursday that President Prabowo's administration has prepared strategies to maintain the stability of the domestic economy amid Trump's tariffs, including the free nutritious meal program.
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Former vice president Jusuf Kalla (JP/Seto Wardhana)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program cannot shield the Indonesian economy from the impact of United States tariffs on imports from the archipelago, former vice president Jusuf Kalla has said.
He argued that the free meals program was purely a domestic policy in nature and has no connection to international trade dynamics.
“This [tariff issue] concerns industry; hot sectors like palm oil, rubber, shrimp. It has nothing to do with the nutritious meal program,” he told reporters on Saturday, as quoted by Kumparan.
Read also: Indonesia prepares to respond to US tariffs
Kalla also suggested that the government evaluate the implementation of the program, citing the potential administrative burden on the National Nutrition Agency if it was expected to manage the program on its own.
Kalla’s comments came after presidential spokesman Hasan Nasbi previously said on Thursday that President Prabowo’s administration had prepared three main strategies to maintain the stability of the domestic economy amid global pressures, including impacts from US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
The free meals program is one of the three strategies, Hasan said, adding that the remaining two were increasing food and energy production and ensuring fiscal stability.
