Indonesia's Prabowo fires head of free meals scheme plagued by poisonings
Summary
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has fired the head of the free school meals program after many children got sick from food poisoning and reports of corruption. The program aims to provide free meals to 80 million school kids but has faced criticism due to health issues and financial concerns.Key Facts
- The free meals program is a major part of President Prabowo's 2024 campaign and was launched in January last year.
- Tens of thousands of children have fallen ill from food poisoning linked to the program.
- The head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, was fired amid corruption allegations and food safety problems.
- Corruption watchdogs reported budgeting problems in kitchens preparing the meals.
- The program was recently cut from six days a week to five to reduce costs due to economic pressures.
- The Attorney General's Office raided the agency's office and restricted staff entry.
- Dadan was replaced by Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who has no background in nutrition or food safety but is part of Prabowo’s campaign team.
- Despite problems, President Prabowo says many people support the free meals as important for the nation’s children.
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