By: Dirandra Falguni)*
President Prabowo Subianto has shown his seriousness in realizing the grand vision of creating a golden generation of Indonesia through the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG). In an effort to accelerate the expansion of the scope of this program, the President will soon issue a special Presidential Regulation (Perpres). This step emphasizes that MBG is not just a political promise, but a real commitment that must be realized quickly, evenly, and effectively throughout Indonesia.
Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said that the issuance of the Presidential Regulation is important because there are still many regions and community groups that have not enjoyed the benefits of the MBG program, even though the program has been running for more than five months. President Prabowo, in various visits to the regions, realized that there are still many areas that have not felt the benefits of MBG optimally. Therefore, the government continues to accelerate the expansion of this program in order to reach all children of the nation.
Since its initial implementation, MBG has involved 190 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), and now the number has increased to 1,295. However, to achieve the ambitious target of 82.9 million beneficiaries, at least 30,000 SPPGs are needed throughout the country. BGN has also prepared a collaborative strategy by involving local governments, ministries/institutions, BUMN, TNI, Polri, and the private sector.
Not only that, a budget of Rp171 trillion has been allocated from the 2025 State Budget to support the success of this program. The funds will ensure that the nutritional needs of students at various levels of education are met. Dadan emphasized that interventions need to be carried out in order to produce a smart generation because the first thousand days are optimal and their physical growth is good.
As is known, around 70 percent of the total Indonesian APBN comes from tax revenues. This means that the implementation of MBG is a concrete form of utilizing people’s funds for a better future for the nation, through improving the quality of human resources from an early age.
Support for the acceleration of the MBG program also came from the regions. In Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan, Member of Commission I of the DPRD, Hatir Sata Tarigan, expressed his appreciation for the establishment of five public kitchens for MBG. Each kitchen is able to provide 3,000 portions of nutritious food, reaching more than 15,000 students. According to him, students who are studying need high concentration, so it is very important for them to get nutritious food that has been calculated properly.
Hatir also assessed the importance of social spirit in the implementation of MBG and rejected if this program was made a business commodity. The DPRD, according to him, is ready to provide full support if there is a legal basis and clear instructions from the central government. This shows that MBG also opens up space for synergy between the central and regional governments, which is the key to the success of national development.
At the strategic policy level, the government has held a ministerial coordination meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food on May 9, 2025. Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, stated that to date, the MBG program has only reached 3.4 million beneficiaries. This figure is still far from the target, so acceleration is a must.
One of the main objectives of this program is to address various nutritional issues in the community, including stunting, anemia, and other chronic malnutrition that are still high, especially in remote areas. The MBG socialization carried out in various regions such as Kedinding Village, Sidoarjo Regency, is proof of the government’s commitment to nutrition education and local economic empowerment.
The MBG socialization activity in Sidoarjo was attended by Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Indah Kurniawati, who emphasized the importance of MBG as a long-term investment. She said that this program does not only provide free food, but also contributes to strengthening the nation’s competitiveness. The MBG program supports the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045 with a primary focus on fulfilling children’s nutrition from an early age.
PPM Prokerma BGN Middle Expert Policy Analyst, Ari Yulianto added that MBG also involves farmers, livestock breeders, and MSMEs in the food supply chain. This shows that MBG also contributes to local economic growth, in addition to health aspects.
Despite the high public enthusiasm, the government is aware of the need to increase socialization so that the MBG implementation procedure can be more easily understood and accessed by all groups. Sidoarjo DPRD member, Prabata Ferdiansyah, invited the public to play an active role in supporting and supervising the implementation of the MBG program so that its benefits are wider and more targeted.
The issuance of the Presidential Regulation by President Prabowo is a crucial step in strengthening the legal basis and accelerating the execution of the MBG program. This confirms the government’s commitment to providing social justice by fulfilling the basic rights of Indonesian children to nutritious food.
With a far-sighted vision, cross-sector collaboration, and strong budget support, the MBG program has great potential to become a strong foundation in creating a superior generation of Indonesia. The Presidential Decree is not just an administrative regulation, but a symbol that the state is present to protect the future of its nation from an early age, namely through one nutritious plate of food, every day.
)* Government Policy Observer
