Indonesia to Review Free Meal Program Amid Misuse Allegations, Report to President Next Month

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, announced on Wednesday that his ministry is beginning an in-depth review of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. The investigation will focus on alleged misuse and issues with the designated locations for nutrition service units. Hasan stated that the findings will be presented to President Prabowo Subianto next month.

"Regarding MBG, we will resolve the problems that have been obstacles or misuse. We ask for one month's time, yes, one more month to complete and tidy up (MBG governance)," Hasan said after a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. The meeting, which lasted about four hours, addressed both the MBG program and the Red White Village Cooperatives.

Hasan explained that the government has identified various problems within the MBG program's implementation. "There are many, related to misuse, then locations that are eligible (for MBG), then so many locations have been determined, but there is no nutrition service unit yet. Some have built but there is nothing yet, many, many things," he elaborated. The Nutrition Service Unit (SPPG) is responsible for managing the MBG kitchens and distributing free nutritious meals to beneficiaries, including schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

During the same meeting, President Prabowo instructed the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to assess the adequacy and feasibility of the MBG budget, which is currently allocated at Rp15,000 per recipient. This includes Rp8,000 for raw materials per portion for students from early childhood education to 3rd grade, and Rp10,000 for students from 4th grade to high school. These amounts exclude operational costs of Rp3,000 and facility costs of Rp2,000. Deputy Head of BGN, Agustina Arumsari, conveyed the President's directive to thoroughly calculate all policy options: "He (the President) said: Is the Rp15,000 budget enough? Please study it. If it's not enough, what is the amount?"