By: Astrid Widia )*
The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) currently being implemented by the government nationally shows its seriousness in efforts to improve the nutritional quality of school children while empowering the local economy. Strict supervision and involvement of various parties are the main keys to ensuring that the implementation of this program truly has a real impact on the field.
With the spirit of cross-sector collaboration, the central and regional governments continue to synergize so that this program is not just an administrative routine, but a real effort to create a healthy and intelligent generation. The community is also invited to participate in supervising the implementation of this program for its overall success.
During his visit to the 015 Public Elementary School, South Balikpapan District, Balikpapan City, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto highlighted the importance of managing the MBG Program transparently and professionally. He emphasized that the hygiene aspect of the food served, from the processing process to the time of serving, must be a primary concern. Nutritional content must also remain a top priority so that this program truly has a positive impact on students’ health.
Bima Arya also added that this program must be able to contribute to the local economy. This means that suppliers of food ingredients and catering services should come from the local area so that the local economy can also move. He emphasized that the main principle that needs to be maintained is the quality of nutrition for children and the economic impact on the community.
In addition, supervision from regional heads regarding the implementation of programs in the field is very necessary, including openness to input from the community who find any discrepancies in the implementation. He reminded local governments to refer to the food safety protocol that has been set by the National Nutrition Agency.
The Head of the Balikpapan City Education Office, Irfan Taufik, also conveyed the same thing that the MBG program in his area is running according to the direction of the central government. All schools receiving the program have been given technical direction and routinely coordinate with catering providers to ensure that quality standards are maintained.
Irfan said that SD Negeri 015 is one of seven schools in South Balikpapan District that has run this program. Irfan also invited the community to participate in supervising the implementation of the program as a form of concern for the health and welfare of children.
In other areas, the police have also shown similar concern. The Head of Metro Lampung Police, AKBP Hangga Utama Darmawan, ordered all Bhabinkamtibmas in his jurisdiction to actively monitor the implementation of the MBG Program in schools.
The goal is to ensure that the implementation of this program runs on target, safely, and provides maximum benefits for students. He sees the presence of Bhabinkamtibmas in the community not only as an effort to create a sense of security, but also as a form of synergy between the police and educational institutions in making national strategic policies a success.
According to Hangga, the police’s duties are not limited to law enforcement alone, but also include support for national development, including in the fields of health and education. Solid collaboration between security forces, schools, and the community is believed to be able to create a conducive environment and ensure that the quality of food given to students meets the established nutritional standards.
Meanwhile, in terms of supporting infrastructure for the program, Deputy for Provision and Distribution of the National Nutrition Agency, Inspector General (Ret.) Suardi Samiran revealed that his party is targeting the construction of 1,993 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units or SPPG by the end of April 2025. However, to date, the number of SPPGs that have been built has only reached 1,087 units spread throughout Indonesia.
He said that if the target is achieved, the construction of the MBG kitchen will be temporarily stopped due to the limited number of supporting personnel or the Indonesian Development Driving Unit (SPPI) which currently only number 1,993 people. Suardi considered it unreasonable if the construction of the kitchen continued while the implementing personnel were not yet adequately available.
Suardi stated that BGN is opening opportunities for people who want to participate in establishing MBG kitchens independently. He acknowledged that there is great interest from the private sector to be involved in this program. This was agreed by the Mayor of Solo Respati Ardi who emphasized the full support of the Solo City Government for the implementation of MBG.
He encouraged the development of SPPG kitchens in sub-districts that have not been reached, while also opening partnerships with MSME actors. Even so, he also realized that there were challenges, especially in terms of MSME capacity which is still limited to only being able to provide around 500 MBG packages. In fact, ideally one SPPG should be able todistribute up to 3,000 packages. Therefore, he plans to collaborate with the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi) to consolidate the strength of MSMEs so that they can meet the required standards.
With various efforts and support from across sectors, ranging from ministries, local governments, security forces, to business actors, the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal Program shows great potential as a strategic program that not only targets the health aspects of children, but also becomes a driver of the local economy.
Active community participation is also an important element that cannot be ignored. Therefore, all elements of the nation need to ensure that this program continues to be carried out with full commitment, transparency, and a spirit of mutual cooperation so that its benefits can be felt widely and sustainably.
)* The author is a public policy observer
