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Indonesia Halts Free School Meals During Holidays, Slashes Budget

Indonesia Halts Free School Meals During Holidays, Slashes Budget

Thairath•International•8d ago

Reader Briefing

Indonesia is scaling back its free school meal program by suspending it during holidays and reducing funding to fiscally struggling schools in wealthier areas, redirecting resources to disadvantaged regions to optimize budget allocation.

  • •Indonesia has suspended its free school meal program during school holidays and weekends and reduced its budget.
  • •Funding will be shifted from schools in economically developed areas to those in remote and needy regions.
  • •The government aims to increase efficiency and ensure resources benefit the most vulnerable populations.
  • •The program, a key election pledge, has faced criticism over high costs, corruption allegations, and food poisoning incidents.

Overview

  • •The Indonesian government announced the suspension of its free school meals program during holidays.
  • •The free school meal program will be suspended during school holidays, public holidays, religious holidays, and weekends.
  • •The program's budget for the current year has been reduced from 335 trillion Rupiah to 268 trillion Rupiah.
  • •Funding for school lunches will cease for 76 schools in economically developed areas, affecting approximately 39,000 students.
  • •Resources will be redirected to focus on students in remote and needy areas.
  • •This move is a reform to increase organizational efficiency and ensure state resources benefit genuinely needy groups.
  • •The adjustments are part of efforts to reduce pressure on the country's financial standing, impacted by economic slowdown and Middle Eastern conflicts.
  • •The free meal and milk program was a significant campaign promise of President Prabowo Subianto, aiming to support over 82.9 million children and pregnant women.

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Source: Thairath (Original)

Key Quotes

Agustina Arum Daryanti
"Besides suspending distribution during holidays, the government will cease lunch funding for 76 schools with around 39,000 students in economically developed areas, and will redirect resources to focus on students in remote, needy areas."
นอกจากการระงับแจกช่วงวันหยุดแล้ว รัฐบาลจะยุติการสนับสนุนงบประมาณอาหารกลางวันแก่โรงเรียน 76 แห่ง ซึ่งมีนักเรียนรวมราว 39,000 คนในพื้นที่ที่มีความพร้อมทางเศรษฐกิจสูง และจะโยกย้ายทรัพยากรส่วนนี้ไปเน้นกลุ่มนักเรียนในพื้นที่ห่างไกลที่ขาดแคลนแทน
Agustina Arum Daryanti
"This move is an organizational reform to increase efficiency and 'to ensure state resources create maximum benefit for those who truly need them.'"
ความเคลื่อนไหวนี้เป็นการปฏิรูปองค์กรเพื่อเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพ และ "เพื่อให้มั่นใจว่าทรัพยากรของรัฐจะสร้างประโยชน์สูงสุดแก่กลุ่มที่จำเป็นจริงๆ"

Key Entities

Place

Indonesia(อินโดนีเซีย)ℹ️
The country implementing the changes to its free school meal program.
Jakarta(จาการ์ตา)ℹ️
The capital city of Indonesia where protests against the free meal program took place.

Organization

National Nutrition Agency of Indonesia(สำนักงานโภชนาการแห่งชาติอินโดนีเซีย)
The agency that issued the statement confirming the temporary suspension of the free meal program.

Person

Agustina Arum Daryanti(นางอากุสตินา อารุมซารี)
Deputy Head and Spokesperson for the National Nutrition Agency of Indonesia who provided details on the program changes.
President Prabowo Subianto(ประธานาธิบดีปราโบโว ซูเบียนโต)ℹ️
The President of Indonesia whose election campaign included the free meal and milk policy.
Dadan Hindayana(นายดาดัน ฮินดายานา)
Former head of the National Nutrition Agency who was dismissed due to alleged criminal offenses in organizational management.