ISTANBUL

Indonesia on Monday launched President Prabowo Subianto’s much-awaited Free Nutritious Meal program to combat stunting, allocating Rp71 trillion (approximately $4.4 billion) for the current year to operate 190 kitchens in 26 provinces.

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) program is expected to feed up to 20 million people, including schoolchildren, pregnant women, Islamic boarding school students, and breastfeeding mothers in a country of 282 million.

A budget of Rp71 trillion (nearly $4.4 billion) is allocated for the program, according to Antara News.

Hasan Nasbi, chief of the Presidential Communications Office, said 190 kitchens are currently operational across 26 provinces.

However, Nasbi added that the number of kitchens providing food for the free meals program is expected to reach 5,000 by the end of 2025.

The rate of stunting among children on the 17,000 islands is approximately 21.5%, and the government intends to reduce the rate to 5% within the next 20 years.