Indonesia’s flagship free meals initiative leaves kitchen investors deep in debt
Mounting debts are the latest blow for an initiative that has struggled with governance, supply chain problems, mass food-poisoning and financial cutbacks.
Indonesia's ambitious free meals program, aimed at providing meals to 83 million Indonesians, has left investors in deep debt, according to a report from Torosiaje, a remote fishing village in Indonesia's Sulawesi island. The flagship project, initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, involved the construction of kitchens costing 1.8 billion Indonesian rupiah ($100,000) to support the program.
These kitchens were intended to cater to school children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, requiring extensive infrastructure investment.
However, for Sigit Buludawa, a 34-year-old lawyer who invested his savings and took out loans from unlicensed lenders to build a kitchen in November, the initiative has resulted in significant financial losses. Buludawa expressed deep regret over the damage to his reputation and the substantial financial burden he now faces. Despite the government's efforts to incentivize investors through the program, Buludawa's venture has proven to be a costly misstep.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
