Jakarta – The Prabowo-Gibran Synchronization Task Force has denied rumors of a reduction in the budget for free nutritious meals from Rp15,000 to Rp7,500 per child.

Hasan Nasbi, a member of the communications team, emphasized that the only conclusion regarding the free meal program so far is a budget allocation of Rp71 trillion.

“As of today, we have no conclusion other than the (nutritious meal budget) of Rp71 trillion,” Hasan stated at the Prabowo-Gibran Synchronization Task Force Media Center in Jakarta on Friday (July 19, 2024).

Hasan also clarified that, as of now, no specific per-child budget has been determined.

“To date, the only conclusion we have reached is the allocation of the Rp71 trillion budget for free nutritious meals in 2025,” Hasan explained.

President-elect Prabowo, Hasan noted, has requested that the Rp71 trillion budget be optimized to benefit as many recipients as possible.

Consequently, all research, studies, and pilot projects related to nutritious meals will follow Prabowo’s directive, considering that the free meal program is a key initiative of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.

“The nutritional needs will be determined by nutritionists. So, there’s no fixed price yet. There’s no such figure at all. I’m puzzled by the numbers circulating because we haven’t released any figures,” Hasan explained.

Furthermore, Hasan mentioned that the budget per child will vary depending on their location. Due to the diverse regions in Indonesia, there will be variations in menu and ingredient prices.

“The price will certainly depend on the available food ingredients in each region, so the menus won’t be the same. It depends on what food is available in different areas. The nutritional needs that we can prepare will adjust accordingly, and the prices will follow. So, that’s roughly how the process works,” he concluded.

In the same event, Budi Satrio Djiwandono, a member of the Prabowo-Gibran Synchronization Task Force, stated that rumors about the budget cut are speculative and far from the truth.

“These are probably speculative statements from various parties. Our goal tonight is to provide clarification, to give a clear picture of the facts as they stand today, what is certain, and what will develop in the coming days,” Budi said.