GORONTALO, Indonesia šC Loan sharks are circling a kitchen that stands on stilts above the waters of Tomini Bay, in the remote fishing village of Torosiaje off the coast of Indonesia¡¯s Sulawesi island.?
The kitchen, which cost 1.8 billion Indonesian rupiah ($100,000), was built under a government plan incentivizing investors to help fund the delivery of free meals to 83 million Indonesians. President Prabowo Subianto¡¯s flagship meal initiative included school children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, and required massive infrastructure investment.
¡°My reputation has been badly damaged, and the losses are enormous,¡± said Sigit Buludawa, a 34-year-old lawyer who built the kitchen in November using all his money and loans from unlicensed lenders, during a recent visit to his low-income village.?
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