Jakarta (ANTARA) - A national survey by Cyrus Network shows that the\nmajority of the public still supports the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG)\nprogramme, but urges improvements in its implementation and governance\nfor sustainability.<\/p>\n
Lead researcher at Cyrus Network, Syahril Ilhami, stated that public\nsupport for the MBG programme reaches 65.4%, although nearly half of\nrespondents want improvements in its execution.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs many as 65.4% of the public support Free Nutritious Meals,\nmeaning two out of three Indonesians still hold hope for this programme.\nHowever, 45.6% of the public want improvements in implementation. This\nnumber is quite significant, with nearly 70% of MBG supporters wanting\nimprovements,\u201d he said during an online presentation in Jakarta on\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
He explained that public support is driven by the tangible benefits\nfelt by society, particularly in fulfilling nutritional needs and\nreducing family economic burdens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe three main reasons for this support are helping to meet public\nnutrition (31.5%), reducing family economic burdens (28.4%), and\nsupporting the health of schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, and\nbreastfeeding mothers (23%),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Additionally, other benefits such as equitable welfare distribution,\nlong-term impacts on the younger generation, and support for local SMEs\nand farmers are also recognised, albeit in smaller percentages.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, public evaluation of the programme\u2019s\nimplementation is a key note, particularly regarding quality and\ntargeting accuracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cReasons for non-support include implementation deemed inadequate\n(30.1%), questionable food quality (22.3%), and inaccurate targeting\n(11.7%). These can serve as forward-looking suggestions for the National\nNutrition Agency as the MBG organiser,\u201d Ilhami said.<\/p>\n
The survey also shows very high public knowledge of the MBG\nprogramme, reaching 98.6%. Of that number, 61.6% of respondents said\ntheir families are direct beneficiaries, while 11.3% others feel\nindirect benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowledge of MBG has reached 98.6%. This indicates the programme is\nmassive and felt by the public, both as beneficiaries and as part of the\nsupply chain such as kitchens and food suppliers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the dynamics of public support are recorded, where\n51.2% of respondents have supported it since the programme\u2019s launch and\n17.2% state their support has increased. However, 30.9% of respondents\nadmit their support level has decreased.<\/p>\n
The survey was conducted from 1\u20135 April 2026, involving 1,260\nrespondents in 126 villages or sub-districts across 38 provinces using\nmultistage random sampling, with a 95% confidence level and a margin of\nerror of around 2.82%.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cyrus-survey-public-supports-mbg-programme-but-calls-for-improvements-1776171050", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }