Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia has utilized Rp60 trillion to establish 27,000 nutrition service units nationwide as part of the Free Nutritious Meals program designed to drive regional economic activity and improve public health.”Thank God it has now spread throughout Indonesia and as of today it has used Rp60 trillion in budget to drive economic activity,” Head of the National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana said in a statement on Monday.He presented the development and impact of the program during a retreat of regional legislative council chairpersons in Magelang on Saturday.He explained that the program was initiated based on President Prabowo Subianto’s concern over the need for improvements in human resource quality.“This program actually originated from the President’s concern as Indonesia is projected to reach 324 million people by 2045,” he said.The official noted that the current average length of schooling in Indonesia stands at only nine years which contributes to limited access to balanced nutrition.Through this initiative the government is carrying out comprehensive intervention focused on two critical phases of development.The first phase addresses the first 1,000 days of life to support cognitive development while the second focuses on optimal physical growth during school age.“We hope that this program can prevent stunting as Indonesia’s current average IQ is 78,” Hindayana explained regarding the long term goals.He added that the government expects those born today to become more productive workers with increased physical height in the next 15 years.The program currently utilizes 27,000 kitchens or service units spread across various regions to ensure the meals are delivered efficiently to the public.Hindayana emphasized that the massive budget absorption has also played a significant role in stimulating local economies through food procurement.