Maritime Affairs Minister Ready to Supply Fish if Free Lunch Program Runs
Translator
Editor
8 March 2024 08:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Maritime and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said his department is ready to support the need for fish for free lunches if the program is implemented by the next government. The free lunch program is on the agenda of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who are now leading the vote count.
Speaking at a technical working meeting on maritime and fisheries affairs in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, March 6, Sakti said fisheries production in Indonesia was in good condition. He estimated that fisheries production would be sufficient to support the free lunch program.
"Our [fish] production is now around 12 to 13 million tons, consisting of 7 million tons of caught fish and 6 million tons of farmed fish. So there is no problem in meeting the needs of the [free lunch program]," the minister said.
Funds Taken from the School Operation Assistance Program
The issue of the free lunch program has gained even more attention recently after Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto proposed that the program be funded using funds from the School Operational Assistance (BOS) program, or a program similar to BOS.
"We propose that the program be funded by the specific School Operational Assistance, or Specific BOS, or an Affirmation BOS that is specifically for providing lunch for students," Airlangga said when attending a free lunch simulation at a junior high school in Tangerang on Thursday, February 29.
Airlangga said the BOS funds that will be used to cover the cost of the free lunch program are of the affirmative type.
The free lunch and free milk program initiated by Prabowo-Gibran targets some 82.9 million schoolchildren and Islamic boarding school students across Indonesia. Based on simulations and planning by Prabowo-Gibran's team of experts, this program requires full funding of up to Rp450 trillion.
PRIBADI WICAKSONO
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