Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) responded to a civil society proposal that suggested that free nutritious meals program be implemented only once a week in order to save the budget.
This civil society group was present at the launch of the 'Second Series of Free Nutritious Meals Study' by the Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI). Civil society assessed that the free nutritious meal (MBG) program was wasting the state budget (APBN) which was initially allocated at Rp1 trillion and then proposed to be increased by Rp100 trillion.
The National Nutrition Agency said that the proposal could not be followed up. "Nutritionists agreed and formulated that it should be 5 days (free nutritious meals) so that the nutritional adequacy figure (AKG) is met. If 1 day is not met," said the Director of Community Empowerment and Participation of BGN Tengku Syahdana at the i-Hub Coworking and Space, Jakarta, on Thursday, February 7, 2025.
Syahdana said that the 5-day scheme to meet the nutritional adequacy figure applies to all target recipients of MBG, including school students, pregnant women and also breastfeeding mothers. He claimed that the 5 out of 7 day scheme had been carefully calculated by research conducted by nutritionists. Syahdana also revealed that nutritional considerations also apply to children with special needs.
"So all of that has been researched and so on, that's why we provide MBG for 5 days like that," he said. The Head of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), said Syahdana, will map out nutritional needs in preparing the MBG menu. So, he emphasized, the 5-day scheme is the best choice based on considerations of fulfilling nutritional adequacy.
Previously, Deputy Chairperson of Commission X of the House of Representatives or DPR Maria Yohana Esti Wijayati evaluated the implementation of MBG after a month of being carried out by the government of President Prabowo Subianto. According to her, the distribution of nutritious food for Rp10,000 was not entirely on target.
She said that Free Nutritious Meals should not be given to all children or students in Indonesia, especially children from wealthy families. The legislator from the PDI Perjuangan faction assessed that the government needs to set a priority scale for the targets of the program. "This MBG should be prioritized or implemented not for all school children," she said when met at the Senayan Parliament complex, Jakarta on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Maria said that the provision of Free Nutritious Meals should be prioritized for children from underprivileged families. In addition, also for 3T areas and areas with high stunting and poverty rates.
She stated that Commission X of the DPR supports this priority program of the Prabowo government. However, according to her, the targeting and distribution mechanisms need to be improved, including the priority scale and infrastructure.
– Novali Panji Nugroho contributed to the writing of this news.