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View all search resultsPrabowo orders reviews of flagship programs, signals possible shift
President Prabowo Subianto is reassessing two of his flagship programs, signaling a possible shift in the rollout of the free nutritious meals and the Red and White cooperatives program, amid persistent controversies and growing public scrutiny surrounding his costly initiatives.
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Stacked odds: A worker arranges covered trays filled with freshly cooked food on May 6 at a nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG) based in the Ternate Police headquarters in North Maluku. (Antara/Andri Saputra)
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resident Prabowo Subianto is reassessing two of his flagship programs, signaling a possible shift in the rollout of the free nutritious meal and Red and White cooperative programs, amid persistent controversies and growing public scrutiny surrounding his costly initiatives.
The possible changes became a key topic of discussion during his meeting on Wednesday at the Palace with several cabinet members whose portfolios are related to the implementation of the two programs, including those of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in charge of running the free meals initiative.
Speaking after the four-hour closed-door meeting, BGN deputy chief Agustina Arumsari said the President has instructed the agency to conduct a thorough, careful review of how the free meals program is implemented at schools, with a one-month deadline to complete the assessment.
“The President asked that every policy be thoroughly studied […] He wants the improvements to be fair and not done hastily,” she said.
The review will focus on assessing eligibility criteria for beneficiaries, with the government considering excluding higher-income groups and evaluating how such changes would be implemented in schools with mixed-income student populations.
“We don’t want a situation where some students receive meals while others in the same [classroom] do not […]. The President asked us to consider the psychological aspects and every other implication before making a decision,” Agustina said.
Read also: Govt cuts free meals budget further after mounting pressure
