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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the government will take direct control of some commodity exports through a new state export body.
President Prabowo Subianto asserts that the free meals program in Indonesia has created over 600,000 jobs in its kitchens alone.
At least 15,000 children in Indonesia have fallen ill due to food poisoning linked to the national free meals program.
Indonesia's free meals program is expected to expand to feed nearly 83 million people, about one-third of the population, by the end of the current year.
Indonesia's state-funded program delivers free meals to more than 60 million people.
Indonesia's free meals program has an allocation of approximately $15 billion from the national budget for the current year.
The $15 billion allocation for Indonesia's free meals program constitutes over 6% of the country's national budget, a level comparable to the national healthcare budget.
The Indonesian government's $15 billion budget for the free meals program this year is five times the amount it spent last year, according to the National Nutrition Agency.
Since 2003, Indonesia has had a legal requirement to keep its budget deficit below 3% of GDP, a rule that serves as a cornerstone for investors.
Both Moody's and Fitch lowered their rating outlooks on Indonesia this year, citing concerns about the country's 3% budget deficit cap.
Indonesia's new state export controls are expected to primarily affect palm oil, coal, and ferroalloys, which may include some nickel products.
President Prabowo Subianto claims that Indonesia's free meals program has integrated more than 61,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives into its supply chain.