100 days of Prabowo presidency marked by free-lunch fumble, policy U-turn
2025.01.23
Jakarta

Prabowo Subianto’s first 100 days as Indonesian president were marked by policy flip-flops and a choppy start to a flagship school-lunch initiative that have led to growing market apprehension about his lofty economic goals, analysts said.
However, average Indonesians gave the ex-army general a top-notch report card according to a survey released this week, with nearly 81% of respondents expressing satisfaction with his performance so far.
One public policy expert, Trubus Rahadiansyah from Trisakti University, however, cast doubt on the method of the Kompas Research and Development survey that was conducted from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10, and polled 1,000 respondents.
This survey might have not represented “the full spectrum of society,” Trubus told BenarNews,
“Many government programs are not functioning optimally,” he added, citing early setbacks in the implementation of Prabowo’s flagship school lunch program.
“The free meal program isn’t efficient.”

Prabowo’s long-planned flagship program – free lunches for schoolchildren – was launched earlier this month and has reached 650,000 students, according to the National Nutrition Agency.
While the initiative has been lauded as a positive step toward reducing child hunger, its content and execution have been panned by nutritionists and other experts.
The meal costs 10,000 rupiah (60 U.S. cents) per portion, typically comprises eggs and chicken, and is nearly the same day in and day out, noted Ali Khomsan, a nutritionist at the Bogor Agricultural University.
“Options like fish and beef would provide more diversity, but they come with higher costs,” Ali told BenarNews.
“It is crucial for the government to evaluate how much food is being wasted because students find the meals too monotonous.”
Reports of food poisoning among students at two schools have also raised concerns about the quality of the meals, while logistical hurdles have led to distribution problems and delays in implementation in some areas.
Prabowo was sworn in on Oct. 20 after a landslide victory in the February 2024 presidential elections.
In addition to free school lunches, Prabowo had said that his other priority initiatives included social assistance for low-income groups, salary hikes for teachers and civil servants, and free health check-ups for citizens on their birthdays.

For many Indonesians, though, economic concerns are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The cost of essential items such as rice, chilies, and cooking oil has increased.
For instance, cooking oil costs have risen to around 16,500 per liter from 15,000 in late October, although prices vary slightly across regions within the country.
Muhammad Fiqruddin, a 32-year-old social worker in Bekasi, West Java, told BenarNews that the many continuing subsidy programs “mainly target those at the very lowest income level.”
“Those who fall just above that threshold are still struggling to meet basic needs,” he said.
But the Kompas survey’s respondents perceived Prabowo as “people-oriented” and decisive, leading to his approval rating exceeding that of his predecessor, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who received 65% early in his presidency.
Some of Prabowo’s populist moves have helped him gain such approval.
In early November, his government announced a debt forgiveness plan for small businesses, writing off about 10 trillion rupiah in bad debts.
Later that month, Prabowo announced a 6.5% increase in Indonesia's minimum wage for 2025, a move praised by Arnod Sihite, deputy chair of the Confederation of All Indonesian Workers Unions.
And hours before a 1% rise in value-added tax meant to apply to nearly all goods starting Jan. 1, the government limited the tax hike to luxury goods after a public outcry and street protests.

While the scale back to this hike was welcomed, some experts such as analyst Wahyudi Askar at the Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) believe that moves such as a VAT increase do little to address larger economic issues.
“Instead of taxing the rich more or focusing on big industries, the government relies on policies like increasing VAT,” he told BenarNews.
In fact, a more critical CELIOS survey suggested that not everyone is impressed with the Prabowo administration’s early performance.
Of 95 journalists surveyed, 49% rated Prabowo’s cabinet as performing poorly, while only 8% gave it a “good” rating.
Economic pressures have also been exacerbated by weakening market indicators.
The uncertainty created by the VAT increase U-turn may have rattled some investors, indicated economist Eko Listiyanto from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance
“The market does not fully trust Prabowo,” Eko told BenarNews.
‘I don’t work with a target’
Prabowo’s foreign policy, meanwhile, has drawn mixed reactions.
His decision to join the BRICS economic bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has drawn both praise and criticism.
While some view it as a strategic move to enhance Indonesia’s bargaining power, others argue it may increase the country’s reliance on China.
As it is, in November, China and Indonesia signed $10 billion worth of deals covering sectors such as food and technology.
Meanwhile, Prabowo said he didn’t believe in markers like the 100 day-performance.
“I don’t work with a target of hundreds of days or months,” he told a recent cabinet meeting.
He also said at a business forum on Jan. 6 that he remains hopeful about the future.
“The more I study our economic situation, the more confident and optimistic I become,” he said.
“I believe that we will achieve and even possibly exceed the 8% growth target.”
Nazarudin Latif and Arie Firdaus in Jakarta contributed to this report.