Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government does not intend to change its plan of setting aside Rp 71 trillion (around $4.4 billion) next year to accommodate President-Elect Prabowo Subianto's flagship free lunch program.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recently gathered some of his ministers to draft the 2025 state budget plan at Jakarta's presidential palace on Monday. His successor Prabowo also sat right next to him.

Speaking to the press shortly after the closed-door meeting, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said that the incoming government planned on spending no more than Rp 71 trillion in 2025 so Prabowo's administration could give Indonesian schoolchildren across the archipelago free lunch. The minister's announcement showed that there was no change of the Rp 71 trillion budget plan when compared to her earlier statements.

"Mr. President [Jokowi] and the President-Elect [Prabowo] have instructed us to allocate a total of Rp 71 trillion [to fund the free lunch program next year]," Sri Mulyani told reporters.

However, she refused to give more info, citing that Prabowo's team is currently making the preparations for this program. Jokowi is also set to reveal more details of the 2025 budget plan later this month. Prabowo, who will work with Jokowi's eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as his vice president, are both set to rise to power this October.

Trial runs for this free lunch program are currently taking place in a number of Indonesian elementary schools. The meals at the SDN 4 Tangerang elementary school cost Rp 15,000 per portion, but the incoming government had tried giving out Rp 14,900 meals in Bogor. Prabowo-Gibran plans on having the trial tests until October to find out the best scheme for this costly program.

The broadcasted version of the Monday meeting showed Jokowi telling his ministers that the 2025 budget would include all of Prabowo's programs. The two-term president Jokowi also warned his cabinet against the global economic slowdown risks. He added: "But it would be best that the upcoming 2025 budget should be focused [on the priority programs], and not trying to do everything all at once."

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/govt-sticks-to-44-billion-budget-for-prabowos-free-lunch-pla