Indonesia’s free meals drive leaves remote kitchen investors deep in debt
Initial guidelines promised investors returns of 120% above upfront costs over four years, but around 700 government-contracted remote kitchens are still awaiting repayment.
In a remote fishing village on Tomini Bay in Indonesia's Sulawesi island, a former lawyer built a kitchen with his own money to provide free meals to schoolchildren and pregnant women as part of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiative. Sigit Buludawa, 34, borrowed 1.8 billion rupiah (US$100,000) to build the kitchen, which now stands idle due to mounting debts and delays in repayment terms.
Sigit is one of at least 400 investors who have borrowed money to build over 1,500 kitchens in remote areas, with many now facing financial ruin. The National Nutrition Agency (NNA), which oversees the programme, has been struggling with governance issues, supply chain problems, food poisoning cases, and financial cutbacks since its launch last year.
The initiative has faced numerous challenges, including raids on NNA offices, the sacking of the agency's head, investigations into corruption, and budget cuts. Sigit and other kitchen owners are now pressured by banks or loan sharks, with some equipment already repossessed. The programme aims to provide meals to 83 million Indonesians, but poor governance and logistical challenges have left many kitchens idle and investors deep in debt.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Indonesia’s free meals drive leaves remote kitchen investors deep in debt freemalaysiatoday.com
