If Not Allowed By The Center, Pramono Diverts Free Breakfast Budget For School Canteen Renovation

DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (DOK Diah Ayu/VOI)

DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana would visit the DKI Jakarta City Hall to discuss the plan for a free breakfast program at schools planned by the DKI Provincial Government.

"Actually, I wanted to go to the Head of the Nutrition Agency, but in the end he wanted to come to the office, today we received it," said Pramono in the Monas area, Wednesday, March 12.

Pramono said that the DKI Provincial Government needs direction and licensing from BGN regarding the implementation of free breakfast. If BGN does not allow a free breakfast program because the government has implemented free nutritious food (MBG), Pramono admits that there is no problem.

The DKI Provincial Government, he continued, will use the free breakfast program budget, if it does not get an implementation permit, to be diverted to renovate school canteens to make them more feasible.

"If he agrees, yes. The choice is, whether breakfast is free, improving canteen infrastructure, and so on," said Pramono.

"Because not all schools have good infrastructure. If we can do improvements, especially for schools where the regions apologize for the less fortunate, slum areas and so on. This will certainly have a better impact," he continued.

On that occasion, Pramono claimed that the free breakfast program he had initiated since the 2024 Pilkada campaign was not to compete with the MBG program run by President Prabowo Subianto.

"There is absolutely no desire to compete with rivalry. Nothing. What is there is, however, Jakarta wants to make students more comfortable when they go to school. If they can get a free nutritious lunch, we think that if we can do breakfast for free, we do it," said Pramono.

This free breakfast program was previously discussed and prepared by the DKI Provincial Government together with the Pramono-Rano transition team before the inauguration of the regional head.

Acting Head of the DKI Jakarta Education Office, Sarjoko, this free breakfast program will be prioritized for schools in slum areas. The DKI Provincial Government will make school canteen traders the food provider.

"Later we will try it partially first, we will pilot the location of the location, maybe the priority location is in the slum RW area, adjusting our capabilities," said Sarjoko at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Thursday, January 16.

Sarjoko said this program was not directly implemented simultaneously in Jakarta schools this year.

Given that Pramono-Rano's free breakfast program has not been budgeted in the 2025 APBD, the DKI Provincial Government still needs to map out the budget allocation needed to run it.

"Our target (free absorption) will be carried out this year. Of course, it is like MBG, because it also requires readiness of many things related to funds as well," said Sarjoko.

"Once again, this is our piloting starting from a more particular scope first, while we evaluate it, while we develop it," he added.