JAKARTA - The static lunch program carried by presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka reaped pros and cons.
The reason is, there is a discourse that the budget will be taken from school operational assistance funds (BOS).
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartanto said that the budget scheme for the Prabowo-Gibran lunch program would only be discussed after an official decision from the General Elections Commission (KPU) was made regarding the winner of the 2024 General Election.
"We can only discuss after there is a decision from the KPU who the government will come. So we always call the government that will come, because the users of the 2025 State Budget are the next government," he said at a press conference at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy Office, Jakarta, Friday, March 8.
Regarding Prabowo-Gibran's free lunch and milk program, Airlangga said that simulations had been carried out at SMP Negeri 2 Curug, Tangerang Regency, Banten. In fact, a number of regions have also run similar programs.
"Regarding free meals, of course, yesterday's simulation was carried out, each region did. The regent from Merauke sent an invitation if there was a movement to eat fish. So it's different again. It's all the initiative from the regions and we're just shopping for problems here," he explained.
The Rp15,000 Budget Does Not Include Milk
Previously, Airlangga said that the budget for the flagship free lunch program to be carried by Prabowo-Gibran was IDR 15,000 per child, including the provision of milk.
"(Free lunch budget) is IDR 15,000, and this is outside of milk," said Airlangga to the media crew when met at his office, Monday, February 26.
Airlangga said that the free lunch menu of IDR 15,000 per child would be adjusted to the regional policies of each. However, what is clear is that the budget will be evenly distributed throughout Indonesia.
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be released to their respective regions, we do not uniformize it. It is evenly distributed throughout Indonesia to Rp. 15,000," he said.
For information, in the Prabowo-Gibran vision, mission and program documents, one of which will be carried out is the free lunch program.
This free lunch and milk program is the first program that Prabowo will execute after being officially inaugurated as President of the Republic of Indonesia.
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Prabowo-Gibran will provide free lunch and milk at schools and Islamic boarding schools, as well as nutrition assistance for toddlers and pregnant women.
The program will take place in stages by targeting more than 80 million beneficiaries with 100 percent coverage by 2029 and is estimated to require a budget of IDR 400 trillion.
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