Free meals: Indonesia starts program targeting 83 million people
New Delhi: Indonesian President Prabowo’s multi-billion-dollar program to provide free meals to more than a quarter of his people was officially launched on Monday, feeding 570, 000 people on its opening day, the media reported.
This scheme was soft-launched last year and became the centerpiece of President Probowo’s election campaign to regain power.
On Monday, 190 kitchens prepared the first meals for school children and pregnant women in more than 20 provinces of the archipelago nation.
The free meal plan will be a Herculean logistical effort when in full swing, with a target by 2029 of reaching 82.9 million of the country’s 280 million population.
Defending the program last month, President Prabowo described it as strategic in countering child malnutrition and spurring growth in Indonesia’s economy at the regional level. It is estimated to cost 71 trillion rupiah (USD 4.39 billion) in its first stage this year, providing meals for 15 million people.
The number of meal recipients will gradually expand to 3 million by March and more throughout the year, according to Dedek Prayudi, a spokesperson for Prabowo’s office.
He said milk would be given but not every day. Indonesia has imported dairy cows from Australia to boost milk production.
