Indonesia cuts free meals to save US$2.3 billion as fuel prices soar

Indonesia is looking to save up to 40 trillion rupiah (US2.3 billion) by cutting back on its free meal programme, an official said on Sunday, in a first austerity measure taken in response to price pressures from the Mideast war. The meals, primarily intended for schoolchildren across the country, will be distributed for five days a week instead of six starting March 31 in a move that is expected to save “around 40 trillion rupiah”, National Nutrition Agency deputy head Nanik Sudaryati Deyang...