JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s government has unveiled an ambitious initiative to address malnutrition among nearly 90 million children and pregnant women. The Free Nutritious Meal Program, which aims to tackle the nation’s stunting crisis, is projected to cost $28 billion through 2029, raising concerns over its affordability and economic implications.
The program fulfills a key campaign pledge by President Prabowo Subianto, who took office last year. Indonesia, home to over 282 million people and Southeast Asia’s largest economy, faces a malnutrition crisis, with 21.5% of children under five suffering from stunted growth. The initiative also seeks to bolster farmers’ incomes, with Subianto pledging to accelerate economic growth to 8% from its current 5%.
In his October inauguration speech, Subianto emphasized the urgency of addressing poverty and malnutrition. His promise to provide free school lunches and milk to 83 million students across more than 400,000 schools aligns with his broader vision of cultivating a “Golden Indonesia” by 2045.
“Too many of our brothers and sisters live below the poverty line. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast and lack proper clothing,” Subianto said.
The program’s projected cost—450 trillion rupiah ($28 billion)—is set to run until 2029. Subianto assured that the government’s calculations confirm the feasibility of the plan.
The initiative’s initial phase aims to reach 19.5 million schoolchildren and pregnant women by 2025, with a budget of 71 trillion rupiah ($4.3 billion). This phase prioritizes maintaining the annual budget deficit within the legislated ceiling of 3% of GDP, explained Dadan Hindayana, head of the newly formed National Nutrition Agency.
Hindayana outlined the program’s extensive logistics, including the procurement of:
- 6.7 million tons of rice
- 1.2 million tons of chicken
- 500,000 tons of beef
- 1 million tons of fish, vegetables, and fruits
- 4 million kiloliters of milk
The program involves nearly 2,000 cooperatives supplying eggs, vegetables, fish, meat, and other essential items, said Cooperative Minister Budi Arie Setiadi.
On Monday, a delivery truck arrived at SD Cilangkap 08, a primary school in Depok, near Jakarta. Students were served meals comprising rice, stir-fried vegetables, tempeh, chicken, and oranges. Hindayana assured that daily meal distributions would meet a third of children’s caloric needs at no cost to recipients.
While the program has been lauded for its humanitarian goals, it has faced scrutiny over its financial and logistical challenges. Critics argue that Indonesia’s state finances may not support such an extensive program.
Nailul Huda, a researcher at the Center for Economic and Law Studies, warned that achieving 100% of the program’s target recipients could lead to increased national debt and hinder Subianto’s economic growth target of 8%.
Huda also cautioned that the program could exacerbate the external balance of payments, as Indonesia heavily imports rice, wheat, soybeans, beef, and dairy products.
Despite a slight improvement, Indonesia’s stunting prevalence remains a significant challenge. According to the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey, the national stunting rate fell to 21.5%, down just 0.8% from the previous year. The United Nations Children’s Fund reported that one in 12 Indonesian children under five is underweight, while one in five is shorter than normal due to malnutrition.
“This is a critical issue that must be resolved,” said Reni Suwarso, director of the Institute for Democracy, Security, and Strategic Studies. “Child malnutrition poses severe risks to health and long-term development, threatening the future of young generations across Indonesia.”
The program’s success will depend on overcoming its logistical and financial hurdles, ensuring that millions of vulnerable children and mothers receive the nourishment they need.
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