SORONG – The government continues to strengthen its commitment to ensuring that the Free Nutritional Meals Program (MBG) in Papua delivers tangible benefits to the community through regular evaluations and improvements to implementation governance in the field. These steps are part of an effort to provide high-quality, targeted, and sustainable nutrition services, particularly for students, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
The West Papua Provincial Government, along with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the MBG Task Force, the head of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), and nutrition experts, conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the program’s implementation. The evaluation was conducted to follow up on various community input and ensure that all program implementation met government-established service standards.
Deputy Governor of Southwest Papua Ahmad Nausrau said the government is committed to continuously improving the implementation of the MBG so that its benefits can be optimally felt by all beneficiaries.
“The implementation of regular evaluations and strict oversight of SPPG operational standards in Papua reflects the government’s openness and strong commitment to continuously improving governance, nutritional quality, and program effectiveness, so that its primary benefits can be optimally and effectively received by the community,” said Ahmad Nausrau.
According to him, 21 SPPGs are currently operating in Southwest Papua and have served more than 79,000 students, as well as approximately 50,000 pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers. This achievement demonstrates the government’s commitment to expanding public access to nutritional needs as a foundation for developing superior human resources.
However, the government is not oblivious to the various challenges still faced, ranging from limited local food supplies, menu variations, and the beneficiary data collection process. These obstacles are being used as evaluation material to strengthen the program’s effectiveness and ensure the quality of services continues to improve.
“We want the MBG program to be implemented according to standards so that the community truly feels the benefits and the quality of service continues to improve,” Ahmad emphasized.
The government is also encouraging the strengthening of MBG implementation in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions through a more adaptive scheme tailored to local conditions. This measure is expected to expand service coverage so that communities in areas most in need can access equitable nutrition.
The commitment to continuous evaluation reflects the government’s commitment to maintaining the quality of the MBG Program while ensuring that every policy implemented has a tangible impact on improving the health, quality of life for the younger generation, and the well-being of the Papuan people. With improved governance and consistent oversight, the MBG Program is expected to become a crucial pillar in realizing the development of healthy, intelligent, and competitive Indonesian human resources.