{
  "id": 17309041,
  "title": "Analysis: Two years of Prabowo: The cost of presidential ambition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/analysis-two-years-of-prabowo-the-cost-of-presidential-ambition",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T00:00:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Jakarta Post",
    "slug": "the-jakarta-post",
    "url": "https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2026/10/31/analysis-two-years-of-prabowo-the-cost-of-presidential-ambition.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two years into his presidency, President Prabowo Subianto is directing a series of state-led initiatives, from subsidized meals to village cooperatives. Despite billions allocated to these flagship plans, critical sectors like education, healthcare, and disaster readiness remain underfunded. While Prabowo campaigned on promises of jobs, affordable housing, and improved nutrition, critics question whether political ambition outweighs practical needs. By September 2026, the free meals program had spent Rp 204.7 trillion, serving 57 million people, yet food poisoning incidents rose to 50,059. Oversight of the program has been questioned, with reports that impact assessments were not publicly available. The Red and White Cooperatives, backed by Rp 106 trillion in bank loans, face challenges in management and sustainability. Critics argue that these programs could consume funds that could be better spent on schools, hospitals, and scholarships. The opportunity cost is significant, with roughly Rp 20 trillion enough to renovate 10,000 schools, upgrade 20 regional hospitals, and fund 50,000 scholarships. Meanwhile, disaster preparedness remains precarious, with the government's budget for disaster response equipment slashed from 1,850 units to 235. As emergencies continue to disrupt recovery efforts, the urgency of making sound budgetary choices becomes clear.",
  "summary": "Two years into his presidency, President Prabowo Subianto is pursuing an ambitious agenda of state-led programs, from the free nutritious meal program to the Red and White Cooperatives. But as billions of dollars flow into these flagship initiatives, pressing needs in education, health care and disaster preparedness remain underfunded. The question is no longer whether Prabowo can fulfill his…",
  "key_points": [
    "Prabowo's presidency focuses on state-led initiatives like subsidized meals and cooperatives.",
    "Despite billions allocated, education, healthcare, and disaster readiness remain underfunded.",
    "Free meals program served 57 million but caused 50,059 food poisoning incidents."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing massive flagship social programs over essential infrastructure and disaster readiness forces a trade-off that leaves critical public services like education and healthcare underfunded and vulnerable.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}