The President of Indonesia has ordered the dismissal of the head of the agency responsible for the free school lunch program for students, a key government policy, following numerous cases of food poisoning and allegations of budget corruption.
This program was one of Prabowo's main campaign promises in the 2024 election. The Indonesian government aims to address child malnutrition and reduce stunting caused by nutrient deficiencies, which currently affects over 20% of Indonesian children.
The government reported that since the program began in January last year until March, over 61 million people have received food aid. However, during the same period, tens of thousands of people continuously fell ill due to food poisoning issues.
Prasetyo Hadi, Minister to the State Secretariat, revealed that the President decided to restructure leadership at the National Nutrition Agency, citing concerns over food quality and program management as key reasons.
The dismissed official is Dadan Hindayana, an entomologist who led the National Nutrition Agency since its inception. Naning Sudaryati Deyang, the deputy head of the agency, has been appointed to replace him.
Previously, Indonesia Corruption Watch filed a complaint against Dadan, alleging irregularities in the program's budget usage.
Dadan had explained to parliament last year that the free food program was linked to at least 11,000 cases of food poisoning, with over 600 patients requiring hospitalization.
President Prabowo acknowledged the program's problems and pledged to swiftly punish any individuals found guilty of wrongdoing.
The Indonesian government aims for the free food program to serve 82.9 million people, including children, students, pregnant women, and nursing mothers—about one-third of the country’s population.
.Source:channelnewsasia
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