Banggar DPR Values Free Nutrition Food Budget Of IDR 71 Trillion Still Makes Sense

JAKARTA - The DPR's Budget Agency (Banggar) assesses that the Rp71 trillion budget plan for the free nutritious food program in the Prabowo-Gibran government still makes sense.

According to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Banggar, Said Abdullah, the budget must have been prepared in such a way by the elected president of 2024-2029, Prabowo Subianto, and adjusted to Indonesian fiscals.

"Eating is free of charge, if you look at what was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, the Minister of Finance, and the transition task force from the elected president, amounting to Rp71 T, it is actually Banggar's hope, to be honest," Said told reporters, Tuesday, June 25.

"Because of what, because the growing issues are increasingly devastating as if in 2025 it was immediately 430 trillion, in my opinion, I am sure Mr. Prabowo will also calculate carefully about our fiscals," continued Said.

Said explained, Banggar DPR approved that in the future the government could freely use the budget according to its vision and mission. Later, Said said, it remains only the authority of the ministry to handle it.

"Because it is recognized that during the discussion yesterday at the RKP Panja and previously at the Panja, the assumptions, macroeconomics and the main points of fiscal policy, there is indeed flexibility for the government to come to use the budget in accordance with the vision and mission that is the commitment of the elected president. So that in the 2025 State Budget later in the introductory financial note of the President (Jokowi) dated August 16, the Rp71 T has been included in the central expenditure, "explained Said.

"The problem is which ministry is left, whether the Ministry of Social Affairs, whether the Ministry of Education, or the Ministry of Health, that is the government's authority," he added.

Therefore, Said considered, budgeting. The Rp71 trillion still makes sense and does not interfere with the country's fiscal policy.

"Rp71 trillion because it is like this, if this concerns the lives of many people, even though there is already social assistance there is subsidy and compensation, almost Rp500 trillion, we have even reached Rp540 T, and this reaches Rp570 T, I think it is still making sanctions and does not interfere with our fiscals," concluded Said.

Previously, the government of President Jokowi and the new Prabowo-Gibran government had agreed on a budget for a free nutritious food program of IDR 71 trillion for 2025.

This was said by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartanto in the agenda of a press conference related to the Current Economic Fundamental Conditions and the 2025 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Plan (APBN).

"In principle, he (the elected president) has agreed, including the relationship between superior programs and one of them is free nutritious food which has been allocated by the 2025 RAPBN budget of around Rp. 71 trillion. Of course there are other priority and technical scales," said Airlangga at a press conference, Monday, June 24.