Free Eating Program In The Middle Of Political Clientism In The Country Is Loved

The elected vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka while reviewing the trial of the implementation of the free nutritious eating program at SDN Sentul 03, Bogor Regency, West Java, Tuesday (23/7/2024). (ANTARA PHOTO/Yulius Satria Wijaya/YU)

JAKARTA The free meal program, which is the flagship of the President-Elect of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, has not been officially knocked. However, the administration of President Joko Widodo and the Prabowo government transition team have agreed to determine a budget of IDR 71 trillion for the 2025 State Budget.

The trial of the program has also been carried out several times. The last time was held was in Bogor Regency on July 23 and was attended by the Elected Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. This free trial will be carried out until October in various regions.

To the media, Gibran gave floating information about this free meal program. Everything is not clear yet, because it is still a trial.

"There will be. Once again, who takes care of it, who oversees it, who is in charge of distribution, logistics, we will determine it soon. I haven't been inaugurated yet," said Gibran in a free trial at SDN 02 and 03 Sentul, Bogor on July 23, 2024.

In the trial, the food provided is in a plastic box with a budget of Rp. 14,900 per child. The menu consists of rice, vegetables, chicken meat, fruit, and milk.

During the campaign ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Prabowo-Gibran and their campaign team were very aggressively echoing the free meal program. It is stated that this program requires a budget of up to IDR 460 trillion per year.

In the Sarasehan 100 Indonesian Economist event in November 2023, Prabowo stated that this free meal targeted nearly 83 million residents. The details are 30 million early childhood children, 24 million elementary school students, 9.8 million junior high school children, 10.2 million high school and vocational school, 4.3 million students, and 4.4 million pregnant women.

This program was immediately discussed less than two weeks after the February 14, 2024 elections. President Jokowi raised this program in a plenary cabinet meeting on February 26. Even though at that time there was no announcement from the KPU regarding the winner of the election.

After the cabinet meeting, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy announced a decrease in the number of beneficiaries to eat free. According to Airlangga, this program will be received to 70.5 million people. There are 23.3 million toddlers, 7.7 million kindergarten children, 28 million elementary school children, and 12.5 million junior high school children. Airlangga mentioned that there are no pregnant women and high school students or vocational schools.

The program name was also revised. Initially, it was'merce lunch and free milk', replaced with 'free nutritious food for children'. It can be interpreted that this free meal does not have to be served during the day, but it can also be in the form of breakfast.

Even though it looks small, IDR 71 trillion compared to the estimated IDR 460 trillion, this amount is still interesting to observe. This free meal program budget is approaching the Ministry of Social Affairs' budget in 2024 which is IDR 78.05 trillion. Such a large budget already covers all Ministry of Social's programs.

Even the Ministry of Finance only allocates a budget of IDR 48.7 trillion for 2024. The Ministry of Transportation is even smaller, because they have a budget of IDR 38.6 trillion for 2024.

In the article No Such Thing as Free Lunch: Counting The Cost of Prabowo Free Food The two researchers' program, Fakhridho Susilo and Jaysa Rafi Prana, suggested that the free meal program should domple the existing social programs. All in order to minimize the risk of a jump in costs.

The two most relevant programs are basic food assistance and Smart Indonesia Card or KIP. This free meal program is in expanding the existing basic food assistance program, which is with the additional benefits of buying cooked food from participating traders.

This not only helps the poor, but also small food stalls and drives the economy. Meanwhile, with KIP, students can take free nutritious milk or snacks in the school canteen, "as written in the article.

Cost control is a very important factor in the implementation of a new program, so it doesn't burden the state budget. Hyperpopulist programs that are not well controlled can be exemplified by what happens in Venezuela.

The country in South America is experiencing hyperinflation due to its populist display program, without taking into account economic and fiscal consequences.

Large-scale social programs such as free meals are very prone to corruption, especially in Indonesia. There are already real examples, for example, the COVID-19 social assistance that dragged Social Minister Juliari Batubara.

Weak control makes it easier for some officials to move money into their own pockets, or use it for inappropriate purposes. It makes sense if then suspicion arises, that some officials will ask for bribes from contracted suppliers to provide goods. Experience has proven. This is Indonesia Bung!

Not to mention if the social assistance program is used to perpetuate power. Politicization of social programs often occurs in developing countries, especially in countries with political systems dominated by clientelism: quick for quick, what can you do.

In Indonesia, clientelism is a political phenomenon that is often encountered. Many studies show that the use of grants and social assistance or social assistance has expanded.

Clientelism and corruption are often intertwined. Politicians have to bear enormous costs to finance the support of their campaign engine. Projects are often allocated to vote brokers in exchange for election services, or to constituents as clients in order to maintain loyalty.

To overcome the problem of corruption in a strict free eating, transparency and accountability program must be implemented. The criteria for recipients must be detailed and published openly, so that high transparency is maintained. Digitization in program administration must be implemented, so that political interference and outside parties can be minimized.

Apart from state institutions, civil society also needs to be involved in supervision in addition to independent external audits that must be carried out regularly. Without all that, the free meal program will not only harm the state's finances, but also Indonesia's democracy.