{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1819114,
        "msgid": "deputy-industry-minister-free-nutritious-meals-a-noble-initiative-governance-reform-a-crucial-step-1782212215",
        "date": "2026-06-23 17:23:23",
        "title": "Deputy Industry Minister: Free Nutritious Meals a Noble Initiative, Governance Reform a Crucial Step",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Riza has defended the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme as a noble initiative with strong philosophical and religious foundations, while acknowledging that criticism has been directed at its management rather than its goals. He welcomed the government's ongoing evaluation, noting that President Prabowo Subianto has tasked the new Head of the National Nutrition Agency with overhauling the programme's governance and fiscal burden. The agency has also announced a strategic refocusing of the programme towards disadvantaged regions and vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.",
        "content": "<p>Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Riza has stated that the Free\nNutritious Meals (MBG) programme is a noble and important initiative,\nwhile emphasising that efforts to improve its governance are a crucial\nstep. Speaking on the Hendri Satrio Official YouTube podcast, Faisol\nargued that from a philosophical and values-based perspective, including\nreligious foundations, the programme has a strong basis regarding the\nstate\u2019s obligation to vulnerable groups such as the poor, women, and\nchildren. However, he noted that the criticism directed at the programme\nhas not been about its objectives, but rather about management aspects\nsuch as governance, implementation processes, and quality verification.\nFaisol said he believes even critics likely feel that the MBG programme\nis not fundamentally wrong, but that the issues observed have been\nrelated to its management, processes, verification, and quality. He\ntherefore welcomed the evaluation steps currently being undertaken by\nthe government. According to Faisol, President Prabowo Subianto has\ntasked the newly appointed Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Nanik\nSudaryati Deyang, with carrying out a thorough overhaul, including\nevaluating the fiscal burden on the state resulting from the programme\u2019s\nimplementation. He stressed that while the MBG programme will certainly\nbe evaluated, there is little debate that it is a very important\nprogramme. Faisol also emphasised that adjustments to the MBG menu are\nimportant, recalling past consumption habits and current changes in\nnutritional needs, and stressed that the menu variations designed for\nchildren will be very useful during their growth phases. Previously,\nHead of the National Nutrition Agency Nanik Sudaryati Deyang stated that\nthe MBG programme will be focused on disadvantaged, frontier, and\noutermost regions, as well as on pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers,\nand toddlers, in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s\ndirectives. Consequently, the agency has issued a circular stating that\nNutrition Fulfilment Service Units not serving these target groups will\nbe suspended. For the construction of service units in the targeted\nregions, the agency will explore several alternative schemes to avoid\nburdening the state budget.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/deputy-industry-minister-free-nutritious-meals-a-noble-initiative-governance-reform-a-crucial-step-1782212215",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}