Prabowo's Reason For Being Absent At The Kick Off Of The Free Nutrition Eating Program, The Palace Gives An Explanation

President Prabowo Subianto (ANTARA)

The Presidential Palace has clarified the absence of President Prabowo Subianto at the launch of the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program.

Head of the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), Hasan Nasbi, stated that Prabowo is planned to review the program, although not on the first day of implementation.

"The president plans to carry out a sudden inspection (sidak). So, we'll just have to wait and see when he will review it directly," Hasan said in a written statement.

The MBG program was officially launched on Monday, covering 190 locations in schools in 26 provinces simultaneously. Although not yet present in person, Hasan ensured that the President received routine reports regarding the development of this program from the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana.

"The president received a routine report from the Head of BGN. So, he always gets updates regarding the development of this program," Hasan explained.

In the early stages, this program reached a number of provinces, including Aceh, Riau Islands, all provinces on the islands of Java, West Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Papua, and South Papua.

The kitchen management for this program is carried out by the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) which is appointed directly by BGN. SPPG cooperates with nutritionists and accountants to ensure nutritional quality, smooth distribution, and compliance with waste cleaning and processing standards.

In the period January to March 2025, this program targets three million beneficiaries, including toddlers, students, PAUD, TK, SD, SMP, SMA, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. This figure is expected to continue to grow to reach 15 million beneficiaries by the end of 2025.

With this strategic program, the government hopes to increase the fulfillment of nutrition for vulnerable communities throughout Indonesia, in order to create a healthier and more quality generation.