Politics · Indonesia · 3 hrs ago
Indonesia’s meal program incentive change could save nearly Rp3 trillion
Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency changed payments for free meal kitchens in its Free Nutritious Meals program.
Since October 5, kitchens have received Rp2,000 for each meal served instead of a flat Rp6 million per day.
Agency head Sudaryono says the change could save nearly Rp3 trillion by the end of 2026.
Under the old system, kitchens received the same amount even when they served fewer than the 3,000 meals used to set the flat payment.
The new system means payments match the number of meals served, so kitchens serving more people receive more.
The Rp2,000 payment is part of the program’s Rp15,000-per-meal budget, not an additional amount.
Kitchens that are suspended or not serving meals receive no incentive.
The agency says meal counts will be set for each kitchen based on its capacity and the people it serves.
Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency estimates that changing meal-program kitchen incentives could save nearly Rp3 trillion by the end of December 2026.
Since October 5, kitchens have received Rp2,000 per meal served instead of a flat Rp6 million per day.
The new incentive amount varies with the number of meals each kitchen serves.
The agency says the previous flat payment gave kitchens the same amount even when they served fewer than the planned 3,000 meals.
The Rp2,000 incentive is part of the existing Rp15,000-per-meal allocation, not an extra payment.
- Who
- Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency, led by Sudaryono, made the change.
- What
- The agency replaced a flat Rp6 million daily kitchen incentive with Rp2,000 per meal served. It estimates the change could save nearly Rp3 trillion.
- When
- The new scheme took effect on October 5, 2026; the projected savings run through the end of December 2026.
- Where
- Indonesia.
- Why
- The agency says the change ties payments to meals actually served and is intended to manage public spending more carefully.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The new incentive scheme took effect, replacing the flat daily payment with Rp2,000 per meal served.
Sudaryono described the change and estimated the savings at a forum for editors in Jakarta.
The agency estimates the change will save nearly Rp3 trillion by the end of the year.
- Previous incentive
- Rp6 million per kitchen per day
- New incentive
- Rp2,000 per meal served
- Effective date
- October 5, 2026
- Projected savings
- Nearly Rp3 trillion by the end of December 2026
- Meal allocation
- Rp15,000 per meal, including Rp10,000 for ingredients, Rp3,000 for cooking costs and Rp2,000 for the incentive
What people are saying
I have calculated that since October 5, when we changed from a flat Rp6 million for every kitchen to Rp2,000 per meal, I have saved, reduced, and economized state spending by approximately Rp3 trillion through the end of December.
The state budget is not my grandmother’s money, so I have to manage and spend it as well as possible, as transparently as possible, and there must be no more irregularities.