Thousands of Indonesians, including students, are protesting the country’s budget efficiency measures, a portion of which will fund free nutritious meals but may impact social spending, including on education.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the budget cuts targeting total savings of 750 trillion rupiah (US$44 billion) on Feb. 15.

The protesting students on Feb. 17 urged the government to reverse the policy as it would curtail spending in several ministries and institutions that benefit poor people and vulnerable groups.

Indonesians promoted #Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia) on social media platforms like X and Instagram, to criticize the austerity measures and their potential impact on public services.

Bagas Wisnu, coordinator of the rally in Jakarta said, “This is a call to all sections of society to continue to monitor the running of government to ensure social justice for all people.”

He said similar protests will continue throughout the country if the government ignores their demand.

The funds shortage is likely to hit a wide range of sectors, from infrastructure to education, and impact many ministries and institutions, except for the Ministry of Defense and the House of Representatives.

For instance, the Religious Affairs Ministry has said it expects reduction in operational grants and teacher education funds for Islamic schools.

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Democracy under threat: The Jakarta Post

Experts have already warned about the dominance of the coalition of parties backing President Prabowo, which controls more than half of the seats in the legislature. Without clear opposition, the coalition, led by Prabowo’s political party, has been able to act almost completely unchallenged.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto speaks as he attends a press conference with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (not pictured) after their bilateral meeting and signing of cooperation agreements at the presidential palace in Bogor, West Java on February 12, 2025. PHOTO: AFP

READ MORE: https://asianews.network/democracy-under-threat-the-jakarta-post/

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The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is anticipating a cut in allocation from 33.5 trillion to 25 trillion rupiah, while the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology may see its budget reduced from 56.6 trillion to 42.3 trillion rupiah.

The policy has also sparked strong protests within government institutions.

The employees of the Witness and Victim Protection Agency held a protest at their office, saying its budget was reduced from 229 billion to 107 billion rupiah.

This can adversely impact health and psychological services it rendered, the employees said.

As of early February, there were 4,726 witnesses and victims who received various services from the agency, including trial assistance, physical protection, and restitution facilitation.

The impact of the budget cut will take effect after May, said Tommy Permana, head of the agency’s employees association.

In Papua, groups of students organized demonstrations on Feb. 17, urging the government to “prioritize free education, not free lunches.”

The Jubi.id news portal quoted a student protester urging “free education for students throughout Papua, without any cost whatsoever.”

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Father Vinsensius Darmin Mbula, chairman of the National Council for Catholic Education, said the reduction in funds for basic and vital services such as education will have a serious impact on schools in remote areas.

“The funds will be allocated for a free nutritious meal program, which entails one free meal a day beginning in urban areas, not in rural areas,” he said.

He said the government seemed to be forcing the free meal program to fulfill a campaign promise.

“I have no clear idea what this program aims to achieve,” he said while calling on the government to carefully evaluate the budget reductions before implementing them.  against likely impact on public services