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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Health & Science

Canteen Involvement Still Under Review for Free Nutritious Meal Program; Not All Students Will Receive Benefits

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • The Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is still reviewing policies regarding school canteens' involvement in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
  • Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti stated that the decision on who receives MBG benefits has been made: it will not be for all students, but only for those in need.
  • The ministry is currently developing the implementation mechanisms to ensure the program's optimal execution, aiming to build a healthy generation free from stunting as envisioned by President Prabowo Subianto.

Indonesia's Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is currently deliberating on the role of school canteens in the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. Minister Abdul Mu'ti indicated that the policy scenarios concerning canteen involvement are still under development and are being carefully reviewed in collaboration with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).

So, there has been no decision yet on how canteens and various other services will operate. For MBG to run well, of course, everything must undergo in-depth assessment.

— Abdul Mu'tiMinister of Basic and Secondary Education, explaining the ongoing review of the MBG program's implementation.

"So, there has been no decision yet on how canteens and various other services will operate. For MBG to run well, of course, everything must undergo in-depth assessment," Mu'ti stated in Yogyakarta on Sunday, July 5, 2026. He clarified that a key decision already made at the ministerial level concerns the beneficiaries of the MBG program. It has been determined that the program will not be universally applied to all students but will be targeted specifically towards those identified as needing the support.

What has been decided in the ministerial meeting is that the recipients of MBG will not be for everyone (students), but only for those who need it.

— Abdul Mu'tiClarifying the targeting of the MBG program beneficiaries.

"What has been decided in the ministerial meeting is that the recipients of MBG will not be for everyone (students), but only for those who need it," Mu'ti explained. While the target recipients are defined, the ministry is actively working on establishing the precise mechanisms for policy implementation to ensure that the program can be executed effectively and achieve its intended goals.

The mechanisms for how this policy will be implemented are currently being developed so that it can be carried out effectively.

— Abdul Mu'tiDescribing the ongoing work to establish implementation procedures for the MBG program.

Minister Mu'ti further explained that the distribution of MBG benefits falls under the purview of the BGN, with the Ministry of Education providing input on its implementation. The overarching objective, as set forth by President Prabowo Subianto, is to foster a generation that is physically healthy and free from stunting. Mu'ti believes that prioritizing students who genuinely require the nutritional support will ensure the program's success and make its impact more precise and meaningful.

The spirit of MBG, as intended by the President, is to build a generation that is physically healthy so they are free from stunting.

— Abdul Mu'tiExplaining the core objective of the MBG program.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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