Presiden Prabowo Belum Bahas Bantuan Asing Untuk MBG Dalam Rapat Menteri

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto has not discussed the involvement of foreign aid in the implementation of Free Nutrition Food (MBG) at a meeting with ministers and heads of institutions related to MBG at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta.

Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Prof. Dadan Hindayana said the current president is still focused on using all domestic capabilities for the implementation of Free Nutrition.

"For matters related to foreign aid, other financing, we don't discuss it," said the Head of BGN as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, January 17.

He emphasized that the President in this afternoon's meeting actually ordered all ministries/agencies, TNI/Polri, and local governments to work together to accelerate the implementation of Free Nutrition Food so that they can touch children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and toddlers throughout Indonesia.

"We focus on how to get all children and beneficiaries to get nutritious food, because it's the biggest anxiety (President). Many (children) are jealous, and want to get benefits immediately," said Prof. Dadan.

Therefore, the President in a meeting that lasted for more than 2 hours at the Palace ordered his staff to make nutritious food a cross-sectoral program.

"We were gathered to carry out the acceleration processes that need to be carried out, and this is cross-sectoral. Starting from planning in Bappenas, assistance from the Ministry of Defense, TNI, Polri, Minister of Villages, Minister of Cooperatives, Minister of MSMEs, Minister of Home Affairs, then the Minister of SOEs, and others," said the Head of BGN.

He said all parties, including the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati, also expressed their support in a meeting related to budget arrangements, then there was Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi who would provide support through regulations signed directly by President Prabowo.

Free Nutrition Food, which is a priority program for President Prabowo's administration, began to run effectively on January 6, 2025. The first day of MBG was held, there were 190 SPPGs operating to supply nutritious food for schools and posyandu in 26 provinces.

In a span of more than a week, the Head of BGN said that as of January 17, 2025, there were 238 SPPGs operating to supply nutritious food for more than 650,000 beneficiaries in 31 provinces.

The Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) is a work unit formed by BGN to operate public kitchens for free nutritious food. Each SPPG is led by a Head of SPPG, assisted by a nutritionist and an accountant.

Dadan targets the number of SPPGs to continue to grow. Later in April 2025, BGN set a target for 3 million beneficiaries to eat nutritiously free, then in August there were 6 million beneficiaries.

Regarding the implementation of MBG, several countries have expressed interest in helping, including China and Japan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping in his meeting with President Prabowo in Beijing, China, November 9 last year, agreed to fund the Indonesian Government's Free Nutrition Food program. The commitment of the funds is contained in a memorandum of understanding of cooperation (MoU) between the Chinese Government and the Government of Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government, as stated by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, is also committed to helping Indonesia provide training and sending experts.