VP-elect Gibran Denies Rumors of Budget Cuts for Free Meal Program
Solo. Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka has denied rumors that the budget for the free nutritious meal program (MBG) will be cut from Rp 15,000 (around $1) to Rp 7,500 per child.
"Who said that? No. Wait for the confirmation. Let's wait for everything," Gibran told reporters at Solo City Hall on Thursday.
He urged the public to wait for the official announcement. "Don't report on things that aren't certain," he added.
Earlier, at the Mandiri Market Outlook 2024 event, Verdhana Sekuritas economist Heriyanto Irawan mentioned that Prabowo Subianto's economic team might reduce the free lunch program's budget to Rp 7,500 to Rp 9,000 per portion, compared to the promised Rp 15,000 during the campaign.
Gibran emphasized that the Rp 15,000 budget is ideal and has already been piloted in several places, including Solo City.
"The Rp 15,000 budget is ideal and has already been piloted," he said.
Gibran announced that the free nutritious meal program would be piloted again in Solo City on Monday.
Gibran confirmed that there is no certainty about reducing the budget amount, so the pilot will continue using the Rp 15,000 per child budget. He added that the pilot with the Rp 15,000 budget had gone smoothly.
"We involve many nutrition experts. Rp 15,000 is quite ideal, I think. However, if there are inputs from parents, students, and teachers, please convey them to us," he concluded.
The government will allocate Rp 71 trillion ($4.33 billion) for President-elect Prabowo Subianto's free meals for students program in the 2025 Draft State Budget (RAPBN). This flagship program will be rolled out in stages. The initiative aims to cover around 82.9 million students gradually until 2029, with an estimated total budget of Rp 400 trillion.
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