Indonesia launches free meal program amid budget constraints

Indonesia launches free meal program amid budget constraints Indonesia launches free meal program amid budget constraints

JAKARTA — Indonesia formally rolled out its free meals for children program on Monday, a flagship policy of President Prabowo Subianto, but on a much reduced scale to what was initially planned.

A total of 570,000 school students in 26 provinces enjoyed a free meal box — less than a fifth of the initial target to provide meals to 3 million students and a far cry from the ultimate target of nearly 80 million.