JAKARTA – Indonesia will slash its free school meals program by one day a week starting March 31, aiming to save up to 40 trillion rupiah ($3 billion) as the first austerity step against soaring costs from the Iran war, a National Nutrition Agency official told media on March 29.
Deputy head Nanik Sudaryati Deyang said meals, mainly for schoolchildren, will shift to five days aligning with the school week, sparing Southeast Asia’s biggest economy from Middle East oil shocks.
Remote or high-stunting areas keep six-day delivery, agency head Dadan Hindayana stressed. “Saturday meals there ensure daily nutrition for at-risk kids,” he said, with local authorities aiding distribution.
President Prabowo Subianto’s spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi noted plans for 80 trillion rupiah in broader savings without specifics. Prabowo had vowed to protect the 335 trillion rupiah 2026 budget, eyeing alternatives like one remote work day weekly to cut fuel use.
Launched in 2025 amid food poisoning criticism and hygiene calls for suspension, the program serves 61 million, prioritizing children, toddlers, pregnant, and breastfeeding women.