BGN: MBG Absorbs One Million Workers

Screenshot - Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana/captured screenshot via ANTARA

JAKARTA - Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana said that the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program has succeeded in absorbing 900 thousand to one million workers.

"I think the number of workers absorbed is now almost 900 thousand to 1 million through the MBG program," said Dadan when he was a panelist in the 1st anniversary of the Prabowo-Gibran Administration: Optimism on 8% Economic Growth in Jakarta, Thursday, October 16, reported by ANTARA.

He explained that the number of workers includes, among others, workers in the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) and suppliers (suppliers) made from Free Nutrition Food.

As of today, said Dadan, the MBG program has successfully operated 11,918 SPPGs in 38 provinces.

"BGN has successfully operated 11,918 SPPGs in 38 provinces in 509 regencies/cities," he said.

Of the tens of thousands of SPPGs, according to Dadan, the workforce at SPPG alone has reached 450 thousand people.

"In terms of manpower alone, now there are 450 thousand people who are directly involved in the SPPG and then one SPPG requires a minimum of 15 suppliers, ranging from rice, milk, fish, chicken and others," he said.

Dadan emphasized that this has shown that the Free Nutrition Food program is a program with great economic potential.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto when speaking in front of more than 400 global CEOs in the peak session of Forbes Global CEO Conference 2025 in Jakarta, Wednesday (15/10) night, said that as of October 15, 2025, the number of beneficiaries of Free Nutrition Food reached 35.4 million people, almost 7 times the Singapore population.

The President also said the number of kitchens that produce food for MBG per day has reached 11,900 kitchens.

President Prabowo told the reason why making MBG a priority program for his government. Prabowo said that many countries, one of them India, had started free lunch programs for school children for a long time.

India, which according to the President, per capita income is lower than Indonesia, but has already provided free lunch for school children.

"Brazil also runs this free lunch program. So, when I advanced to (design the MBG program, ed.) I think it was 2023, and at that time there were 77 countries that had run the free lunch program, and I said Indonesia should be the 78th or 79th country. We started designing it and made it one of the campaign promises, and we designed it," said President Prabowo.