Economists raise concern over sustainability of Indonesian meal program

According to an Indonesian Ministry of Health Nutritional Status Study report, 21.6% of children ages 3 and 4 experienced stunting caused by malnutrition in 2022.

根据印度尼西亚卫生部发布的营养状况调查报告，2022年，3至4岁儿童中有21.6%因营养不良而发育迟缓。

The first stage of the Free Nutritious Meal Program, extending through March, is intended to provide around 20 million Indonesian school children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers meals to improve their health and prevent stunting.析

免费营养餐计划的第一阶段将持续至3月，旨在为约2000万名印尼学童、孕妇和哺乳期母亲提供餐食，以改善他们的健康状况，预防发育迟缓。

The effort was initially projected to cost $28 billion over five years. However, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said on Jan. 9 during a meeting on food security that the $4.4 billion budgeted for this year will run out in June and that $8.5 billion more will be requested to fund the program through December.析

该计划最初预计五年内耗资280亿美元。然而，粮食统筹部长祖尔基弗利·哈桑1月9日在一次粮食安全会议上表示，今年为该计划编列的44亿美元预算将在6月用完，政府还将再申请85亿美元，以使计划得以维持到12月。

China, Japan, the United States and India have expressed support for the program, although it is unclear how much money will be provided or what form that support will take. Japan and India have said their help will be in the form of training.

中国、日本、美国和印度已表态支持该计划，但目前尚不清楚它们将提供多少资金，也不清楚支持将以何种形式落实。日本和印度表示，它们将以培训的形式提供帮助。

Officials plan to implement the program in stages, eventually reaching 83 million people — more than a quarter of Indonesia’s 280 million population — by 2029, Muhammad Qodari, deputy chief of the presidential staff told reporters on Feb. 3.析

总统府幕僚办公室副主任穆罕默德·科达里2月3日对记者表示，官方计划分阶段推行该计划，到2029年最终覆盖8300万人——超过印度尼西亚2.8亿人口的四分之一。

The program is part of a long-term strategy to develop the nation’s youth to achieve a “Golden Indonesia” generation, referring to a plan to make Indonesia a sovereign, advanced and prosperous nation by its 2045 centennial.析

该计划是培养国家青年、打造“黄金印尼”一代这一长期战略的组成部分。“黄金印尼（2045愿景）”指的是一项旨在到2045年建国一百周年之际，使印度尼西亚成为主权独立、先进发达、繁荣富强的国家的规划。

The program's cost could make Prabowo politically vulnerable, according to Dinna Prapto Raharja, a professor of international relations at Jakarta’s Bina Nusantara University and a senior policy adviser at Jakarta consulting firm Synergy Policies.

雅加达建国大学国际关系学教授、雅加达Synergy Policies咨询公司高级政策顾问迪娜·普拉普托·拉哈尔贾认为，该计划的开支可能令普拉博沃在政治上陷入被动。

“In order to finance this program, Prabowo has taken steps to implement major cutbacks in his government budget with some ministries seeing 50% cuts,” Dinna said.

迪娜说：“为了给这项计划筹措资金，普拉博沃已着手大幅削减政府预算，一些部委的预算被砍掉了50%。”

“Now he is forced to seek financial assistance from overseas sources.” she told VOA on Jan. 31.

她1月31日对美国之音表示：“如今，他不得不向海外寻求资金援助。”

The Finance Ministry said the spending cuts would amount to $18.7 billion, 8% of this fiscal year’s approved spending.

印尼财政部表示，此次削减的开支总额将达187亿美元，占本财政年度获批支出的8%。

While other nations said they would support the program, officials from the National Nutrition Agency — which manages the program — said internal talks about the level of foreign aid, type of assistance and technical aspects of its implementation have not begun.析

尽管其他国家表示将支持该计划，但负责管理该计划的国家营养署官员表示，有关外国援助的规模、援助类型以及计划实施的技术细节，内部讨论尚未启动。

In November, China committed to supporting free nutritious meals but did not pledge a specific amount.

去年11月，中国承诺支持免费营养餐，但并未承诺具体金额。

The Chinese Embassy in Jakarta did not respond to VOA requests for further information on the value and form of the assistance. It remains unclear whether China’s financial assistance will be in the form of a loan or grant.

对于美国之音就援助金额和形式提出的进一步询问，中国驻印度尼西亚大使馆未予回应。目前仍不清楚，中国的资金援助将采取贷款还是赠款的形式。

The United States is providing training to Indonesian dairy farmers to support the program, which has increased the demand for locally produced milk. Indonesia, so far, can provide milk only two to three times a week to school children, according to Deddy Fachrudin Kurniawan, CEO of Dairy Pro Indonesia and project leader of U.S. Dairy Export Council training.析

美国正在为印尼奶农提供培训以支持该计划，而该计划已推高了对本地所产牛奶的需求。据Dairy Pro Indonesia（印尼乳业公司）首席执行官、美国乳品出口协会培训项目负责人德迪·法赫鲁丁·库尔尼亚万介绍，目前印度尼西亚每周只能为学童供应两到三次牛奶。

Deddy told VOA on Jan. 8 that Indonesia has had to import 84% of its milk in the past, and that demand will double because of the food program.

德迪1月8日对美国之音表示，印度尼西亚过去有84%的牛奶依赖进口，而受这项供餐计划带动，牛奶需求将翻一番。

In January, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Japan will support the meal program by helping the Indonesian government increase its ability to combat childhood malnutrition.

今年1月，日本首相石破茂宣布，日本将帮助印尼政府提升应对儿童营养不良问题的能力，以此支持这项供餐计划。

Ishiba offered Japan’s support by training Indonesian cooks and sending Japanese chefs to assist. Prabowo added that Japan will also assist in improving the fishery and agriculture sectors, based on Japan’s experience.

石破茂提出，日本将为印尼培训厨师，并派遣日本厨师前往协助。普拉博沃补充说，日本还将借鉴本国经验，协助印度尼西亚提升渔业和农业水平。

More recently, India reaffirmed support for the program through the sharing of knowledge of the government’s Food Corporation of India and other institutions with Indonesian officials.

最近，印度重申支持该计划，方式是由印度政府下属的印度食品公司及其他机构与印尼官员分享知识与经验。

“India shares its experiences in the fields of health and food security, including the [free] lunch scheme and public [service] distribution system to the Indonesia government,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his YouTube channel on Jan. 25.

印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪1月25日在其YouTube频道上表示：“印度正与印度尼西亚政府分享在卫生和粮食安全领域的经验，包括免费午餐计划和公共分配系统。”

Other countries have said they support the program. France and Brazil expressed their support on the sidelines of the recent G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

其他一些国家也表示支持该计划。在不久前于里约热内卢举行的二十国集团领导人峰会期间，法国和巴西在会议间隙表达了支持。

Prabowo instructed his team to arrange a visit of an Indonesian delegation to Brazil to take notes from the South American country's similar program. France, which has a similar school feeding program, intends to share its expertise and help Indonesia modernize its agricultural sector.

普拉博沃指示其团队安排印尼代表团访问巴西，借鉴这个南美国家实施类似计划的经验。法国本身也有类似的校园供餐计划，该国打算分享专业经验，并帮助印度尼西亚推进农业现代化。

Teuku Rezasyah, an associate professor of international relations at Bandung’s Universitas Padjajaran, noted that India exported 20,000 metric tons of water buffalo meat to Indonesia last year while Brazil exported 100,000 metric tons of beef to Indonesia.

万隆巴查查兰大学国际关系学副教授特乌库·雷扎夏指出，去年印度向印度尼西亚出口了2万吨水牛肉，巴西则向印度尼西亚出口了10万吨牛肉。

British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Reynar showed similar interest during her meeting with Prabowo in London in November. However, it remains unclear what type of support the U.K will offer.

去年11月，英国副首相安杰拉·雷纳在伦敦与普拉博沃会晤时，也表现出了类似的兴趣。不过，英国将提供何种支持，目前仍不明朗。

Mohammad Faisal, executive director of the Center of Reform on Economics, told VOA in Jakarta on Jan. 31 that countries offering support will have their own interests in mind, as well.

印尼经济改革中心执行主任穆罕默德·费萨尔1月31日在雅加达对美国之音表示，提供支持的国家同样会有自己的利益考量。

“I believe there’s no free lunch,” Faisal said. “The donations may be partly altruistic, but not entirely. Donor countries consider it as strengthening bilateral ties, but they may also expect to reap the benefits in the future, such as enjoying ease of investing in Indonesia through incentives and getting better penetration of export markets as a reward.”析

费萨尔说：“我相信，天下没有免费的午餐。这些捐助或许部分出于利他之心，但并非全然如此。捐助国将此视为加强双边关系之举，但它们也可能期待日后从中获益，作为回报，比如借助激励措施更便利地在印尼投资，以及更深入地打入出口市场。”

Rezasyah agreed.

雷扎夏对此表示赞同。

“Donor countries are probably hoping Indonesia will import more products from their countries to support this multibillion-dollar supplemental food program,” he said. “On the other hand, they see Indonesia becoming a middle power that could contribute to finding solutions to global affairs.”

他说：“捐助国或许希望印度尼西亚为支撑这项耗资数十亿美元的补充性供餐计划，从它们那里进口更多产品。另一方面，它们也看到印度尼西亚正逐渐成为一个能够为解决全球事务贡献力量的中等强国。”