Jakarta. Led by Commission IV Chairman Budhy Setiawan and Vice Chairman Budisatrio Djiwandono, a delegation from the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) visited Stockholm, Sweden, from May 19-22 to lay the groundwork for Indonesia's free lunch program.

Accompanied by officials from the National Food Agency (Bapanas), the Agriculture Ministry, the Fisheries and Marine Affairs Ministry, as well as state-owned companies Perhutani and Pupuk Indonesia, the visit aimed to foster cooperation between Indonesia and Sweden to support the initiative.

"This visit presents significant opportunities for Indonesia and Sweden to enhance collaboration in the food sector. We see immense potential in sharing knowledge and technology between our nations," stated Indonesian Ambassador to Sweden, Kamapradipta Isnomo, in his statement on Wednesday.

Additionally, the delegation sought to learn from Sweden's expertise in livestock, fisheries, and social forestry to bolster Indonesia's free lunch and milk program under President-elect Prabowo Subianto's administration.

During their visit, the delegation held discussions with Swedish officials, including the First Deputy Speaker of the Riksdag Kenneth G. Forslund and the Chairman of the Indonesia-Sweden Parliamentary Friendship Group Adam Reuterskiold. They also toured key sites like the Bona Gard farm and plantation, along with the fish & seafood market.

Ambassador Kama emphasized that the visit would strengthen bilateral ties and contribute to enhancing Indonesia's human resources.

Earlier this year, Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto disclosed that the proposed budget for the free school lunch program would be Rp 15,000 per child daily. The initiative aims to gradually cover approximately 82.9 million students by 2029, with an estimated budget of Rp 400 trillion ($25.5 billion), excluding milk procurement costs.

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