Govt Allots Rp10 Billion to Promote Free Meal Program, Communication Minister Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Communication and Informatics, Budi Arie Setiadi, said the ministry allocates Rp10 billion to promote and disseminate information regarding President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s free meal program, the administration's flagship project.

Budi Arie conveyed the statement during the ministry’s 2025 budget meeting. “Based on the information we received from DPR (House of Representatives) on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics receives an additional budget allocation of Rp10,000,000,000, thus changing the budget ceiling to Rp7,728,907,593,000," Budi Arie said during the meeting on Tuesday, September 10, as quoted from Antara.

"The additional budget is proposed for the management and dissemination of thematic information regarding the free nutritious meal program,” he added.

Later, the free meal program’s dissemination will be part of the public communication task conducted by the Directorate General on Information and Public Communication and quasi-public agencies.

To communicate the flagship program to a wider audience, the ministry plans to disseminate public information on priority programs in the fields of Human Development and Cultural Affairs and Politics, Law, and Security.

Additionally, the public communication budget for 2025 was also prepared to run public communication for government media, prepare a draft of the Central Information Commission Law, and disseminate information on national and international activities taking place in Indonesia.

Overall, the ministry allocated Rp230.8 billion for public communication programs. 

The Working Meeting also discussed other programs the ministry would run in 2025. Several programs are the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure worth Rp3.5 trillion, the ICT utilization program with allotted funds worth Rp1.3 trillion, and the Frequency Spectrum Management, Equipment Standards, and Public Service program worth Rp490.6 billion.

Finally, the ministry also allocated Rp2.1 trillion for a management support program. In total, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics allotted over Rp7.7 trillion, down up to 49 percent compared to 2024. 

ANTARA

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