Free Nutrition Food Starts Running, Sluggish School Canteen Traders Turnover

Implementation of free nutritious meals at Jakarta/PHOTO schools: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - The free nutritious food program (MBG) which started running today turned out to make school canteen traders sluggish. The profit of selling food sold in schools has decreased dramatically.

This condition was acknowledged by one of the school canteen traders in Jakarta named Rosul (56). Rosul admitted that his turnover was reduced because many students did not buy his merchandise because he had received free food.

"Obviously it really reduces (profit). I can only sell in the morning. During the afternoon, I can't anymore because (students) have received (free food)," Rosul told reporters, Monday, January 6.

Every day, Rosul sells heavy foods in the form of rice and side dishes. The food menu is also similar to the MBG program, such as rice, chicken and tofu and tofu as a source of protein, and tumis vegetables.

"If it's crowded, usually it can run out 100 servings. After MBG, it's only 50 servings. Half. Usually I finish my break, I cook again, but now it's no longer," he said.

Therefore, Rosul hopes that the school can make efforts to the government to pay attention to the condition of school canteen traders whose income is reduced due to MBG.

One of them is by involving canteen traders to be involved in the production of MBG food.

"I joined the cooperative, so it depends on the school. If it is involved, hopefully it can," he said.

In the implementation of MBG in Jakarta on the first day, only 12,054 students in 41 schools were able to eat free food from President Prabowo Subianto's flagship program.

There are 4 SPPGs or MBG kitchens that provide food from the first day, distributed from the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) under the auspices of the National Nutrition Agency.

Furthermore, there are 13 additional SPPGs that will start operating in stages until the end of January 2025.

On a national scale, the implementation of the first day of MBG took place in 26 provinces with 190 SPPG. The government targets 937 MBG kitchens to be achieved by the end of January 2025 with the implementation carried out in stages in accordance with the readiness of each region.