Glembert
KN. His predecessor Joko Widodo prioritized roads, rail and bridges and the mineral export industry, with GDP growth averaging 4.2% in his 10 years as president.
Prabowo is switching the focus to soft infrastructure — his signature policy is a $30 billion a year free school-lunch program. The goal: improve nutrition, boost educational outcomes in a nation where almost a quarter of the population is under the age of 15 and power up economic growth to 8% a year.
Economists and investors applaud the ambition; it’s the price tag and risks in delivering the program without waste and corruption that has them concerned.
Indonesia’s president-elect, Prabowo Subianto, has laid out an ambitious goal of 8 percent annual economic growth during his first term, with the aim of catapulting Indonesia into high-income status by 2045.
Yet early signs suggest that his approach may already be misaligned with this target. The recent announcement of a cabinet expansion – with around 49 ministries and a proliferation of vice minister roles, the cabinet will include close to 100 appointees in total – raises concerns about whether his administration will prioritize the necessary institutional reforms and efficiency.
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