President-elect Prabowo Subianto's government aims to initially provide free meals to 20 million students starting January 2025, at an estimated cost of 71 trillion rupiah (approximately $4.5 billion).
The National Nutrition Agency plans to establish at least 5,000 meal preparation facilities nationwide, expanding to 30,000 by 2027. This initiative is expected to create over one million new jobs and support local agricultural producers. The program's ultimate goal is to eliminate malnutrition across the country by extending coverage to all children and pregnant women.
However, international credit rating agencies and the World Bank have expressed concerns about the program's impact on Indonesia's fiscal health, as the full-scale implementation could cost around $18 billion annually. Despite these worries, Prabowo has also indicated plans to expand government ministries and departments, arguing that a large coalition government is necessary for Indonesia's size and diversity.
Prabowo has stated his intention to retain many ministers from the current administration to ensure policy continuity. He also plans to create new departments for housing and carbon emission regulation, and separate tax and customs offices from the finance ministry to form a national tax agency.
