Nutritious Food Budget Cut to IDR 10,000, Cak Imin: The Calculation Results Were Not Reckless

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenko PM)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar alias Cak Imin responded to the budget for the free nutritious meal program which was cut to IDR 10 thousand per child.

Cak Imin emphasized that the government was not reckless in setting the budget for the free nutritious meal program.

"Of course the calculation results I think are not reckless," said Cak Imin to reporters at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 2.

Currently, Cak Imin continued, the free nutritious meal program is still in the simulation stage. So according to him, the government will adjust the free nutritious meal program with the existing budget according to nutritional standards.

"Of course everything is still in the simulation process, a simulation trial until the end of the year until the implementation in January begins. There must be minimum aspects of nutritional needs that must be included," said the PKB Ketum.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto set the budget for free nutritious meals (MBG) at IDR 10,000 per portion.

"Later the minimum average or the average we want to give an index per child per pregnant woman is approximately IDR 10,000," said Prabowo when announcing the increase in the Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) via the Youtube channel, quoted Saturday, November 30.

Prabowo said that he actually wanted to budget the program at IDR 15,000 per portion, but the government considered IDR 10,000 per portion to be nutritious enough.

"We want IDR 15,000 but the budget conditions may be IDR 10,000 for the regions is sufficient. Sufficient quality and nutritious," continued Prabowo.