Prabowo-Gibran Will Make The New Ministry Take Care Of Free Lunch

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JAKARTA - Presidential Candidate Prabowo Subianto is rumored to be meeting with vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka to discuss the free lunch program. TKN said that there were new ministry proposals that would later take care of the program.

Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team (TKN) Expert Budiman Sudjatmiko said that his party was indeed discussing the formation of the National Nutrition Agency to realize the free lunch and milk program.

Budiman said that the free lunch program needed a special approach so that it would be implemented immediately. So according to him, it is necessary to form a special agency to handle the program.

"So it is possible that a special Coordinating Ministry for this program will be formed. It is suspected that a National Nutrition Agency will be formed," Budiman said when confirmed, Thursday, February 22.

Budiman explained that a number of other ministries will be involved in program coordination and implementation. Such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Villages, the Ministry of MSMEs for Cooperatives, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

In addition, said Budiman, coordination with local governments and village governments will be more focused on the readiness to provide food needed for Prabowo Gibran's flagship program.

"Because one of the keys to the success of this program is the availability of food and food sources," he said.

The former PDIP politician also explained the issue of using the APBN for this free lunch program. In the first year, said Budiman, the state will only finance around 50-60 percent of the needs, or Rp120 trillion.

Through a collaborative farming approach with the national private food industry and food SOEs, according to him, savings will be possible.

"The government will get food supply according to program needs. Meanwhile, these food industry partners get certainty in their industrial supply commodities from the same food production source as the program's villages," explained Budiman.

"The national private food industry and food SOEs are targeted to finance around 40-50 percent of their food production capital needs," he continued.

Budiman assessed that with a productive mutual cooperation approach, everyone's condition of being happy will be built. Because, he said, every stakeholder will benefit.

"By still ensuring that the state can fulfill its commitment to providing lunch and drinking free milk effectively and efficiently," concluded Budiman.

Meanwhile, Gibran Rakabuming Raka said there had been talks about forming a coordinating minister and minister to run free lunch and milk programs. However, he said, the discussion was not completely over.

"It has been discussed (new cabinets). Tonight I will meet (Prabowo)," said Gibran in Solo, Central Java, Thursday, February 22.

It is planned that the discussion on the formation of the new ministry will be held tonight. However, until now, no information has been obtained regarding the timing and location of the Prabowo and Gibran meeting.