Budget cuts and food poisoning: The complex reality of Indonesia's free school meals

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Students receive lunch plates on the first day of a free-meal programme at Kedung Badag 1 State Elementary School in Bogor, West Java. — AFP

By Malay Mail

Friday, 25 Apr 2025 10:39 AM MYT

JAKARTA, April 25 — Indonesia’s ambitious free school meals programme, designed to serve 80 million children nationwide, has encountered significant challenges since its implementation.

According to the BBC, nearly 80 students from two high schools in Cianjur, south of Jakarta, were recently hospitalised after consuming meals provided through the programme, marking the latest in a series of food poisoning incidents that have raised serious concerns about food safety protocols.

Authorities investigating the Cianjur case have pointed to negligent food preparation as the suspected cause. Samples from affected students have been sent for laboratory testing, while police have questioned everyone involved in the food handling process, from cooks to delivery workers.

“I felt dizzy, nauseous and vomited,” a 16-year-old student told local media, describing how the shredded chicken in his meal had an “unpleasant odour” before he fell ill.

Presidential vision and initial implementation

The programme represents a signature policy of President Prabowo Subianto, who took office in October 2023.

Initially conceived as a solution to tackle stunting — a condition affecting approximately one-fifth of Indonesian children under five — the president promoted the initiative with ambitious rhetoric: “Through this initiative, our children will grow taller and emerge as champions.”

Since January, the first phase of the programme has delivered meals to 550,000 students across 26 provinces. Despite the president’s popularity — his approval ratings reached 80 per cent after his first 100 days in office — the programme has faced mounting criticism regarding both its implementation and funding.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto gestures at the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry in Jakarta on March 13, 2025. — AFP pic

Food safety concerns have plagued the initiative from its early stages. In February, an elementary school student named Michelle in East Nusa Tenggara province was among several children who suffered suspected food poisoning. She described the food that gave her stomach pains as “bland and stale,” prompting some parents at her school to begin preparing homemade lunches instead.

Following the recent Cianjur incident, officials have pledged to enhance food safety measures. “We must improve quality,” stated Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency, after visiting hospitalised students.

Experts criticise hasty implementation

“One obvious thing is the lack of mature and in-depth planning before this programme was launched,” said Eliza Mardian, a researcher at the Center of Reform on Economics Indonesia. “The haste ends up sacrificing quality and effectiveness, which actually worsens the public’s perception of this programme.”

The financial scale of Indonesia’s initiative has drawn particular scrutiny. The government has allocated over US$10 billion for the free school meals this year alone, making it potentially the most expensive programme of its kind globally.

By comparison, India spends US$1.5 billion annually to feed 120 million children in the world’s largest such programme, while Brazil’s version costs approximately the same amount to serve 40 million students.

To finance this expensive initiative, President Prabowo has sought support from Indonesia’s wealthy business leaders and accepted funding from China. More controversially, he ordered US$19 billion in budget cuts across multiple government sectors to fund this and other populist schemes.

These cuts have had far-reaching consequences. Several ministries, including education, saw their budgets reduced by half. Government employees who were not furloughed reported being forced to economise by limiting the use of air conditioning, lifts and even printers. University students were particularly affected, with many scholarship programmes cancelled and classes disrupted.

A student eats lunch on the first day of a free-meal programme. — AFP

Emerging corruption allegations

The budget reallocation sparked widespread protests. When thousands demonstrated against the cuts in February, they specifically targeted the school meals programme.

Protest signs carried messages like “Children eat for free, parents are laid off,” while one student protester in Bandung said, “The worst thing is when the stomach is full, but the brain is not filled.”

Additional challenges have emerged in the form of corruption allegations. Indonesia’s anti-graft bureau flagged a “real possibility” of fraud in March, and police recently launched an investigation after a meal provider in South Jakarta accused authorities of embezzlement, claiming she had not been paid since February despite fulfilling her contract.

Prabowo has continued to defend the programme, stating that his administration will “handle” the allegations and “safeguard every cent of public money.” However, experts remain sceptical about the programme’s governance.

According to Muhammad Rafi Bakri, a research analyst at Indonesia’s audit board, large-scale social assistance programmes in Indonesia have historically been “riddled with corruption,” and given the enormous budget allocated to the school meals initiative, he warned that “this programme is a goldmine for corrupt officials.”