Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday declared the first year of Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program a major success, saying the nationwide initiative achieved a 99.99 percent success rate in its inaugural year despite missing its coverage target and facing vast logistical challenges.
Speaking during a briefing at a cabinet leadership retreat at the Garuda Yaksa compound in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, Prabowo said the program's implementation in 2025 demonstrated the state's ability to deliver large-scale social interventions effectively.
"If we assess this objectively and based on statistics, our free nutritious meals program can be considered 99.99 percent successful," Prabowo said.
Launched on Jan. 6, 2025, the MBG program aims to provide daily nutritious meals to 82.9 million schoolchildren across Indonesia, as well as to pregnant women, to address stunting, hunger and long-term poverty. As of Jan. 6, 2026, the program has reached around 55 million beneficiaries nationwide.
Prabowo described the achievement as remarkable, noting that Indonesia reached far more beneficiaries in a much shorter time compared with similar programs abroad. He cited Brazil as an example, saying the South American country took around 11 years to serve 40 million beneficiaries, while Indonesia reached 55 million people in just one year.
"This is something we should be proud of," he said.
The president also responded to criticism and ridicule directed at the MBG program, stressing that it is a strategic policy widely anticipated by the public. He said the initiative represents a direct state intervention to improve nutrition, strengthen human capital and break the cycle of poverty.
"To those who mock this program, look with your eyes and your hearts at our people and our children," Prabowo said. "We will prove that MBG works and is awaited by the people."
While acknowledging isolated shortcomings, including a "small number" of food poisoning cases, Prabowo emphasized that the government would not be complacent. He said the administration remains committed to achieving "zero defects" in implementation.
According to government data, around 0.001 percent – or about 16,000 cases – of the estimated 1.4 billion meals distributed during the first year were linked to food poisoning incidents.
Beyond nutrition, the program has also generated significant employment. National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Dadan Hindayana said the MBG initiative has absorbed more than 780,000 workers, from food preparation to meal distribution.
The number of MBG kitchens, known as Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), expanded sharply from just 190 units at the program's launch to 19,188 units operating across all 38 provinces by early January 2026. Dadan said the SPPG network has strengthened local economies, boosted household resilience and built skills in the food sector.