Bureaucratic Reform as Strategic Step to Strengthen Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals ProgramBy Nadia Putri Ramadhani, Public Policy Analyst
The Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG) reflects the Indonesian government’s commitment to national nutrition security and social justice. Beyond funding and logistics, the program’s success heavily relies on efficient, responsive, and collaborative bureaucratic governance. Therefore, bureaucratic reform has become a strategic priority to ensure MBG is effectively implemented from central to regional levels.
Through Presidential Decree No. 28/2025, the MBG Coordination Team was established, chaired by Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan and operationally led by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) under Nanik Sudaryati Deyang. This framework aims to provide a measurable, results-oriented mechanism to manage the program, which now reaches 82.9 million beneficiaries.
The Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) plays a key role, focusing on institutional strengthening and human resource management. Efforts include drafting Presidential Regulations for MBG governance, enhancing regional Nutrition Fulfillment Offices, improving personnel competencies, and integrating digital systems for service delivery. These steps ensure bureaucracy functions not just as a policy executor but also as an adaptive driver of change.
Bureaucratic reform also enables more synchronized cross-ministerial implementation. Ministries, agencies, and local governments have been mapped to streamline coordination, evaluation, and control. Enhanced oversight guarantees that nutritious meals reach intended recipients efficiently while maintaining fiscal accountability, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for a responsive, results-oriented bureaucracy.
Moreover, the government is fostering inclusive collaboration, engaging village cooperatives, MSMEs, and disability groups in the supply chain. This approach strengthens local economies while improving community nutrition. With integrated digital services, institutional restructuring, and cross-ministerial synergy, bureaucratic reform proves to be a strategic lever to ensure MBG’s success, delivering both health and social impact to the public.
