Jakarta – The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program launched by the government will continue during the month of Ramadan with several adjustments. One of the main changes is the food distribution mechanism for students who are fasting.
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, ensured that the MBG will continue with a different method.
“Food that is usually consumed at school can now be taken home by students,” he said.
This adjustment was made so that students who are fasting can enjoy the food when breaking their fast at home, while for those who are not fasting, food can still be consumed at school.
“For those who are fasting, the food can be enjoyed when breaking their fast. Meanwhile, those who are not fasting can eat it at school or at home,” he added.
Dadan also emphasized that the MBG menu during Ramadan will be adjusted to make it last longer. Some of the menus prepared include milk, boiled eggs, fortified cookies, and fruits.
“Sometimes there are also menus such as kolak or green bean porridge,” he added.
In addition, Dadan highlighted the importance of environmentally friendly packaging.
“We use bags that must be returned to school the next day to be exchanged for new ones,” he said. This policy aims to reduce waste and train student discipline.
In areas with a non-Muslim majority, the government will conduct an evaluation after one week of implementation to determine whether further adjustments are needed. “We will evaluate after one week of implementation to see whether further adjustments are needed,” Dadan said.
Meanwhile, the Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Climate and Energy, Hashim S. Djojohadikusumo, revealed that the government will increase the MBG budget by IDR 100 trillion. This budget comes from the reallocation that is being promoted by the government.
“So budget savings do not mean that the budget is reduced. IDR 306 trillion of the savings is the result of reallocation from silly programs, allocated to more necessary programs, namely free nutritious meals,” he said.
According to Hashim, this additional budget will have a significant impact on economic growth. “According to Bappenas, with the addition to the MBG to IDR 171 trillion, it will increase economic growth by 1.99%, from the previous 0.83%,” he explained.
