Jakarta — The Free Nutritional Meals (MBG) Program continues to demonstrate significant achievements in efforts to equalize access to nutrition throughout Indonesia. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that the MBG program has reached 49 million beneficiaries. The President said that MBG is now being distributed to remote and isolated areas.
“Currently, we are providing 49 million meals daily, 49 million beneficiaries daily. We are providing more than seven times the amount of food that Singapore provides daily. And we have succeeded in reaching even the most remote and isolated areas,” said President Prabowo.
The distribution of nutritious food services is carried out through an integrated network, utilizing schools, health facilities, social institutions, and village and regional officials as service nodes. This system ensures that the distributed food is targeted, prepared according to appropriate nutritional standards, and reaches previously underserved areas.
The use of data collection technology helps ensure there is no overlap in beneficiaries and helps the government map areas with higher levels of nutritional vulnerability to expedite response.
Program implementation continues to be refined by strengthening coordination between the central and regional governments, down to the technical implementation level. Storage infrastructure, logistics transportation, support staff, and food service facilities are the focus of ongoing improvements.
This policy, developed as a long-term program, is not merely an agenda for addressing malnutrition but also a large-scale movement aimed at improving the quality of public health by meeting the need for nutritious food.
The Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), Rini Widyantini, stated that to strengthen the effectiveness of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and its services, the number of BGN Technical Implementation Units (UPTs), namely the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Offices (KPPG), will also be restructured and increased.
“Strengthening the KPPG institution is a strategic issue that needs to be implemented immediately, considering that KPPG is the spearhead of BGN in providing services and distributing MBG in the regions,” said Minister Rini.
The sustainability of the program is a strategic step in ensuring the quality of Indonesia’s human resources is maintained and improved. Children who are well-nourished today are the future generation who will lead the nation towards progress. A healthy and productive society will be more competitive in the modern economy. Through continuously strengthened joint efforts, the MBG will become not just a policy intervention, but a significant legacy for Indonesia’s human development.
[edRW]