Jakarta – The Indonesian government has launched the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) as a strategic effort to improve the nutritional status of children across the country. This program aims to address the ongoing issues of malnutrition and stunting, which remain significant challenges for public health in Indonesia.
The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Bima Arya Sugiarto, emphasized that the program will begin implementation in January 2025. He stressed the importance of refining the concept and conducting pilot testing before full implementation, especially in terms of budgeting, which needs to be tailored to the specific conditions of each region.
“Ensure that the food meets nutritional needs and provides economic benefits to the community. This requires collaboration,” he said.
The MBG program is designed to reach 82.9 million beneficiaries, not only children but also pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and students from early childhood education to senior high school, both in public and private schools, as well as religious educational institutions. The program will begin in January 2025 at 932 locations, with plans to expand to 2,000 locations in April 2025 and 5,000 locations by July-August 2025. It is hoped that by 2027, all targeted beneficiaries will be served.
The government has allocated a budget of IDR 71 trillion to support this program. Each service unit will receive funds ranging from IDR 9 billion to IDR 11 billion, with 85% of the budget allocated for purchasing raw materials from local farmers.
This approach not only ensures the availability of nutritious food for children but also contributes to strengthening the local economy by empowering farmers and local food producers.
On the other hand, the Director of Public Policy at CELIOS, Wahyudi Askar, provided his insights on the challenges that may arise in implementing this program. He stated:
“Although a large budget has been allocated, the implementation of this program still faces many challenges. Rushing into the execution without in-depth studies could lead to the waste of limited resources,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of considering local conditions in Indonesia and the risk of inefficiency in the budget due to overly long supply chain distribution.
Despite its noble goals, the MBG program is not without its challenges. Incidents of food poisoning in several schools have raised serious concerns. In response, the government has taken steps to improve food safety standards and ensure the quality of the meals served.
This program, while facing hurdles, is a vital effort to address long-standing issues like stunting and malnutrition in Indonesia, with the potential to greatly improve the health and well-being of future generations.
