President Prabowo Asks All MBG Needs To Be Supplyed By Villages

Illustration of free nutritious food (ANTARA)

SOLO - President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto requested that all basic needs in the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program be supplied by the village. The request was submitted through the Deputy Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Wamendes PDT) Ahmad Riza Patria in Solo, Central Java.

"Pak Prabowo requested that all MBG needs be supplied from villages," said Riza, quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, February 2.

He emphasized that Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) must start preparing and be actively involved in providing food for the MBG program. In addition, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives are also a priority from the National Nutrition Agency to support this program.

With this policy, it is hoped that village economic growth can increase up to 4-7 times due to the larger circulation of money at the village level. Riza hopes that all villages are ready to welcome this program and become the subject of village development.

The government has also issued Regulations of the Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (Permendes) Number 7 of 2023 which regulates the priority of using village funds.

In this regulation, at least 20 percent of village funds must be allocated for food security to support national food self-sufficiency.

In addition, the government plans to form thematic villages, such as chili villages, rice villages, durian villages, fishhead villages, petin fish villages, and others.

Thus, each village is expected to develop its superior potential, even up to the export level.

"Several villages already have export capabilities, and hopefully more villages can do this in the future," added Riza.

With these various efforts, the government targets that in the next five years the number of villages left behind and greatly lagging behind can continue to decrease, so that more and more developing villages become developed and independent villages.