TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto revealed the government's plan to save the budget up to Rp 750 trillion through three stages of trimming. The funds from this efficiency will be allocated to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and long-term investments.

"The first round of savings by the Ministry of Finance reached Rp 300 trillion, the second round Rp 308 trillion. The dividends from state-owned enterprises amount to Rp 300 trillion, with Rp 100 trillion returned. So, in total, we have Rp 750 trillion," said Prabowo during the 17th Anniversary of the Gerindra Party celebration in Sentul, Bogor, Saturday, February 15, 2025, cited from the Gerindra YouTube account.

Out of the total trimmed budget of Rp 750 trillion or US$ 44 billion, US$ 24 billion will be allocated to the MBG program. Prabowo emphasized the importance of nutrition for Indonesian children. "For the 24 [billion], I am forced to use it for nutritious meals. Our people, our children should not go hungry," he said.

Meanwhile, the remaining budget amounting to US$ 20 billion will not be used for state spending, but will be handed over to the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) Nusantara Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara) for further development. "We will not use this. We will hand it over to Danantara for investment," he said.

President Prabowo Subianto previously issued a budget saving policy stipulated in Presidential Instruction Number 1 of 2025 concerning Efficiency of State and Regional Budget Expenditures 2025. He instructed each minister and head of institution to identify expenditure efficiency plans according to the size determined by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani.

Sri Mulyani herself stated that the budget will be more directed towards programs that the government perceives as beneficial to the public directly. "Such as Free Nutritious Meals, as well as steps towards food self-sufficiency, energy, then improvements in the health sector, and steps to improve the quality of the people to become a more superior societal resource," she said some time ago.

Meanwhile, Danantara, which will be launched on February 24, 2025, will invest natural resources and state assets of Indonesia into sustainable and high-impact projects.

These projects will be carried out in various sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, downstream industries, and food production. Prabowo stated that all these projects are expected to contribute to achieving Indonesia's economic growth target of 8 percent.

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