MBG creates new employment ecosystem nationwide, BGN staff says

Jakarta (ANTARA) - An expert staff at Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Karimah Muhammad, said Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme is capable of creating a new employment ecosystem reaching all corners of the country.

"MBG is not just a school lunch programme, but also a work ecosystem involving 28,390 heads of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), along with over 1.1 million food handlers, drivers, cleaners, security guards, and field officers," she said in an official statement confirmed here on Wednesday.

Karimah pointed out that halting the programme would also strip away the livelihoods of more than one million workers. She outlined several adjustments, refocusing efforts, and cost-saving measures to optimise the programme.

Related news: BGN prioritizes nutrition as free meals resume

These include a "no school days, no MBG" policy, meaning beneficiaries only receive meals on active school days with adjusted distribution schedules, the closure of problematic SPPGs or MBG kitchens, and the merger of any SPPG measuring under the standard 400 square meters.

"Additionally, we are also thoroughly enhancing the governance. This systemic overhaul is aimed at making MBG stronger, more efficient, and better targeted," she explained.

MBG programme already reaches tens of millions of children daily at schools and community health posts (posyandu) across Indonesia, she added.

This remains true even after a refocusing initiative that will exclude around 20 million recipients from private high schools, elite schools, and boarding schools.

Related news: KSP head reviews MBG program readiness for new academic year

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated the government is encouraging SPPGs to empower community production centers; village-owned enterprises (BUMDes); micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and local food suppliers to strengthen the programme's supply chain.

Minister Sadewa noted this programme aims to streamline the supply chain and boost the programme's logistics capacity, while ensuring that food supplies are sourced directly from producers near each SPPG.

Speaking during a meeting with the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday, Purbaya acknowledged that challenges remain in the early stages of the MBG implementation, primarily concerning supply chain readiness, food distribution channels, and logistics capacity, especially in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions.

Related news: Free meal program has involved 148 thousand local suppliers: Minister

Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Raka Adji

Editor: Fransiska Ninditya

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