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Indonesia has spent just 2.3 trillion rupiah ($138.55 million) so far in President Prabowo Subianto's flagship programme to provide free school meals for students and expecting mothers, its finance ministry said on Wednesday.
Launched in January, the vaunted programme has reached just 3.27 million recipients as of April 29, with more than 1,000 kitchens operating across the archipelago, the ministry said.
The government continues to commit to reaching 82.9 million recipients - more than a quarter of Indonesia's population - by the fourth quarter, by partnering with 32,000 kitchens and with a total budget of 171 trillion rupiah, deputy finance minister Suahasil Nazara told a press conference.
Investors have paid close attention to the programme due to its high cost and impact on Indonesia's fiscal position. The free meals policy has also been criticised by some student protesters in February who highlighted cases of food poisoning in some areas and called for free education instead.
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