By: Bara Winatha*)
 
The Free Nutritional Meals (MBG) Program continues to be a national priority in strengthening public health, especially for pregnant women, toddlers, and other vulnerable groups. The government ensures that the distribution of healthy food is not only routine, but also high-quality, well-targeted, and supported by strong governance. In this effort, collaboration between the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), relevant ministries, and service partners is a crucial foundation for the program’s sustainable implementation. In various regions, intensive monitoring and evaluation are continuously conducted to ensure that each Nutrition Service Fulfillment Unit (SPPG) operates according to standards.
 
The Deputy Head of BGN, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, stated that the government expects SPPG partners and managers to demonstrate moral and social commitment in implementing the program. She emphasized that the foundations involved must understand that MBG is not just about producing food, but also about contributing to the condition of the schools or communities where the program operates. She explained that school facilities, especially those serving as distribution locations, must be a shared concern.
Nanik also stated that President Prabowo Subianto had stipulated from the outset that SPPG managers must come from educational, religious, or social foundations that have long-standing community involvement. This decision was made to ensure that the MBG program is truly managed by institutions that are dedicated to service, not simply profit-seeking. She noted that a number of new foundations have emerged due to the accelerated development of the SPPG, and the government believes additional oversight is necessary to ensure these institutions continue to operate ethically and in accordance with the President’s directives.
The National Non-Governmental Organization (BGN) will continue to tighten regulations to prevent any party from profiting excessively from the program. BGN ensures that partners implement the program in a humane and fair manner, oriented toward improving the nutritional well-being of beneficiaries. New technical guidelines are currently being finalized and will require each partner to channel a portion of their income to social and educational activities. This step is being taken to ensure that the MBG’s noble goals do not become a means of disproportionate profit-making.
Meanwhile, the government also believes that consistent field supervision is essential. The Deputy Minister of Population and Family Development, Isyana Bagoes Oka, stated that the government continues to monitor the implementation of the MBG Program in various regions through direct visits. During a visit to Palembang City, she noted that the MBG distribution mechanism was running smoothly and reaching beneficiaries every day, including on Saturdays. This demonstrates that SPPG management in the regions can demonstrate high commitment if coordination between local governments, recipient families, and SPPG is well-established.
Isyana stated that the MBG intervention plays a strategic role in reducing stunting, especially because the program targets pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and infants. Food quality must be maintained from the selection of raw materials to its presentation. She stated that kitchen cleanliness, accurate grammage, and attention to beneficiaries with allergies are non-negotiable quality standards. Meanwhile, the role of families, especially fathers, is also crucial in ensuring that pregnant women receive full support in meeting their nutritional needs.
Regarding national policy and regulations, the Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that the government will soon implement a service quality-based incentive scheme to encourage improvements in the quality of SPPG. SPPGs will be audited by an independent institution to assess the quality of their services, from facilities and cleanliness to reporting accuracy. The audit results will then determine a quality category, such as superior, very good, or good, which will influence the amount of incentives received.
According to Dadan, this incentive approach is being implemented so that SPPGs are not only motivated to meet distribution targets but also to improve food quality standards and governance. This policy will begin implementation next month and is expected to increase partner accountability.
Furthermore, Dadan stated that BGN is also improving the fund disbursement mechanism, which has been deemed vulnerable to misuse. All transactions are now conducted through a virtual account system that requires two-party approval before funds are disbursed. The reimbursement mechanism has been eliminated to eliminate opportunities for irregularities, as has occurred in certain previous cases. This digitalization step will provide full transparency and strengthen the oversight system across all SPPG units.
From the overall policy and synergy,The government is clearly committed to strengthening cooperation with MBG service partners through improved coordination, enforcement of quality standards, and strict oversight. The government believes that the success of MBG is determined not only by the quantity of food distributed, but also by the quality of the food, its accuracy in targeting, and the integrity of the institutions managing it.
With a collaborative approach involving the National Agency for National Development Planning (BGN), relevant ministries, local governments, and foundations managing SPPG, the distribution of nutritious food is expected to be more equitable and of higher quality. The government emphasizes that the MBG program is designed as a long-term investment in human resource development. Therefore, improving service quality is a priority and a moral mandate so that the future of Indonesian children can be built on a strong foundation of health.
*) The author is a social and community observer.
