Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – FIAN Indonesia, an Indonesia civil society organization advocating for the right to food and nutrition, has criticized the draft Presidential Regulation on the government's free nutritious meal program (MBG).
The group argued that the regulation fails to address fundamental problems in the government's flagship initiative.
FIAN Indonesia's National Coordinator, Marthin Hadiwinata, said the regulation was discussed without public participation and lacks a human rights-based approach to food and nutrition.
"Without transparency, this Presidential Regulation will only whitewash the chaos of the MBG project," Marthin said in a written statement on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
According to Marthin, the MBG program has been flawed from the outset, particularly in determining its target beneficiaries. He said the criteria appeared arbitrary and lacked a clear baseline, resulting in food safety issues that have led to mass poisoning incidents.
The MBG program, one of the top priorities of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration, has faced widespread criticism after thousands of people reportedly suffered food poisoning from distributed meals.
Initially, the program aimed to reach 82.9 million beneficiaries, focusing on vulnerable groups such as schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
Marthin emphasized that the government should base the implementation of the MBG program on the human right to food and nutrition, in line with the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR).
He cited the CESCR Committee's recommendation that food programs must involve meaningful consultations with civil society, indigenous groups, farmers, and women, while also supporting local agriculture and small-scale food production systems.
FIAN Indonesia, therefore, insists that transparency and public participation in drafting the Presidential Regulation are essential. Without involving the intended beneficiaries, Marthin said, the program risks missing its core purpose.
"This regulation will merely legitimize the MBG project as a mechanism for distributing state budget allocations," he said.
He further warned that a non-transparent regulation would reinforce centralization in the MBG's implementation. "Access to nutritious and healthy food should be provided in a decentralized manner, involving schools, families, and surrounding communities," Marthin added.
To date, there is still no clear legal framework governing coordination among ministries, local governments, the private sector, and civil society in implementing the MBG program.
On Wednesday, October 9, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said the draft regulation was nearly complete and had been submitted to the Ministry of State Secretariat.
Meanwhile, on Friday, October 10, Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that President Prabowo Subianto had not yet ratified the regulation, as its contents were still being finalized. "There are still some inputs, particularly from the Ministry of Health," Prasetyo said in Menteng, South Jakarta.
The Gerindra Party politician added that the government is working to define the roles of the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) in overseeing the program, especially after recent food poisoning cases.
"We want both the Ministry of Health and BPOM to be involved in supervision. So, the release of the Presidential Regulation will take a little more time, please be patient," Prasetyo said.
– Dian Rahma Fika contributed to the writing of this article.