Scraping Together $44 Billion: How Prabowo Found Funds for Meals Program and Danantara

BOGOR, investortrust.id – President Prabowo Subianto is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to secure funding for his ambitious budget efficiency drive. With the meticulousness of a man digging through couch cushions for every last coin, he has scraped together Rp 750 trillion—or $44 billion—through a sweeping government efficiency initiative. 

His plan? To funnel $24 billion into the national free nutritious meal program (MBG) and earmark another $20 billion for investment under Badan Pengelola Investasi Daya Anagata Nusantara (BPI Danantara).

The three-pronged approach to this budgetary shake-up, as outlined by Prabowo and backed by the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee, has yielded savings through automatic budget adjustments, efficiency mandates under a presidential instruction, and increased state-owned enterprise (SOEs) dividends.

The Search for Every Last Rupiah

Vice Chairman of Banggar, Wihadi Wijanto, broke down the phases of this financial scavenger hunt, beginning with automatic budget adjustments (AA) that the Ministry of Finance has been implementing since the pandemic. "The Ministry of Finance initiated the AA program, and its results have already been transferred to the Budget Section of the State Treasurer (BA BUN), amounting to Rp 300 trillion," he explained.

While the precise timeframe of these adjustments remains unclear, past figures indicate a steady buildup: Rp 58 trillion in 2021, Rp 39.71 trillion in 2022, Rp 50.2 trillion in 2023, and Rp 50.15 trillion in 2024. “That’s the savings achieved through Kemenkeu’s measures,” Wihadi confirmed.

The second phase of savings stems from Presidential Instruction No. 1 of 2025, which originally identified Rp 306.69 trillion in efficiencies. After meticulous reviews and recalculations, the figure has been revised to Rp 308 trillion. “That’s the current efficiency figure,” Wihadi stated.

Of this amount, Rp 58 trillion will be reallocated across 17 ministries and agencies, leaving Rp 250 trillion available for further redistribution.

Scouring for BUMN Dividends

The third and final phase of savings comes from the dividend contributions of BUMN. Prabowo revealed that state-owned enterprises would collectively contribute Rp 300 trillion. However, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir proposed allocating Rp 100 trillion for reinvestment in operational capital, resulting in the government receiving Rp 200 trillion in net BUMN dividends.

The Destination of the Recovered Funds

Prabowo’s vision for this painstakingly assembled budget is clear: $24 billion will be dedicated to the MBG program, ensuring schoolchildren receive nutritious meals.

"Twenty-four billion dollars—I had to use it. For what? For nutritious meals. Our people, our children must not go hungry. If rich kids are already well-fed, that’s fine," he stated emphatically.

Currently, the program is being administered through the Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN) with an initial allocation of Rp 71 trillion. To expand its reach, an additional Rp 100 trillion has been set aside.

Meanwhile, the remaining $20 billion is earmarked for long-term investment. "We won’t touch the remaining billions. This will be handed over to Danantara for investment," Prabowo affirmed.

Ministry of Finance Yet to Weigh In

Despite Prabowo’s detailed breakdown, the Ministry of Finance has yet to provide clarification. When contacted by Investortrust.id, the ministry’s Head of Communications and Public Services Bureau, Deni Surjantoro, declined to comment on the government’s savings strategy as outlined by Prabowo.

With the efficiency program already securing billions, Prabowo has demonstrated a relentless determination to stretch every available rupiah—flipping cushions, checking pockets, and sweeping under every piece of government furniture in his quest for funding. Whether this strategy will sustain itself in the coming years remains uncertain, but for now, the president has managed to find the money where others may have thought none existed.