PDIP Legislators Propose Form A Free Lunch Ministry Instead Of Taking BOS Funds

Member Of Commission X DPR From The PDIP Faction Andreas Hugo Pareira/screenshot Of Parliament TV

JAKARTA - Member of Commission X DPR from the PDIP faction Andreas Hugo Pareira proposed the establishment of a special ministry related to free lunch.

This was conveyed by Andreas in response to a oblique vote related to the free lunch program, the idea of a presidential candidate pair number 2, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is said to be using the School Operational Assistance (BOS) budget from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek).

According to him, the establishment of a free lunch ministry is better to do than to tamper with BOS funds, if the program is actually implemented by the government for the 2024 '2029 period.

"I suggest that it is better to make a special ministry for free lunch," said Andreas on the sidelines of the Commission X Working Meeting (Raker) of the DPR RI with the Minister of Education and Culture, Nadiem Anwar Makarim at the DPR building, Jakarta, Wednesday, March 6.

According to him, the budget for BOS funds from the Ministry of Education and Culture is not enough to be used in running free lunch. Because he said, the free lunch budget is higher than BOS funds.

"The free lunch budget is definitely higher than the entire Kemendikbudristek budget," he said.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Chair of the Steering Committee of the Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team (TKN), Airlangga Hartarto, had tested the free lunch program.

In a trial conducted some time ago, the free lunch program is claimed not to annex the state budget, but to use the BOS budget.

"We propose a funding pattern through the Specific School Operational Assistance or BOS Affirmation specifically to provide lunch for students," said Airlangga before the simulation of a free lunch at SMP Negeri 2 Curug, Tangerang on Thursday, February 29.