00:00Indonesia's free meals program is facing fresh turmoil after the head of the agency overseeing President Prabhu Subianto's flagship initiative
00:10resigned, citing health reasons.
00:12The resignation of Nanik Sudaryati Dayang marks the second leadership change at the National Nutrition Agency in just over a
00:20month.
00:22The move comes after budget cuts and a criminal investigation into the multi-billion dollar program.
00:29Nanik's predecessor was dismissed by Prabhu last month and later arrested on corruption charges following a raid at the agency's
00:36offices.
00:37The resignation also comes a day after the government cut the program's 2026 budget for a second time, reducing it
00:45to Rp229 trillion from an initial allocation of Rp335 trillion.
00:51The free meals program is Prabhu's signature election pledge, aimed at providing meals to 83 million people, including school children
01:00and pregnant women.
01:02Since its launch in January 2025, the program has been marked by logistical challenges, quality concerns and several cases of
01:10mass food poisoning, with many calling for a complete suspension or major overhaul of the initiative.
Comments