{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1687899,
        "msgid": "mbg-who-pays-the-price-for-the-future-1776660657",
        "date": "2026-04-20 11:22:00",
        "title": "MBG: Who Pays the Price for the Future?",
        "author": "Ferril Dennys",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "The Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) promises to enhance children's nutrition and bolster Indonesia's human resources in the long term, targeting millions of recipients as a major social intervention. However, it has unintended consequences for small vendors near schools, who are experiencing sharp declines in business as students shift from buying snacks to receiving free meals. This column highlights the temporal injustice faced by these micro-entrepreneurs, who cannot afford to wait for future benefits while their daily livelihoods are immediately disrupted.",
        "content": "<p>At one corner of the school, children now eat peacefully. In another\ncorner, the small warung that was once bustling begins to count its\ndays. The pot is still warm, the oil still sizzling, but customers no\nlonger come as they used to. The change has happened quickly\u2014too quickly\nfor some to adapt. The Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) brings\ngreat promises: improving children\u2019s nutrition, preparing a healthier\ngeneration, and in the long term, strengthening the quality of\nIndonesia\u2019s human resources. The government targets this programme to\nreach tens of millions of recipients gradually, making it one of the\nlargest social interventions in recent years. This is an investment in\nthe future that is hard to refuse. Who wouldn\u2019t want to see children\ngrow stronger, smarter, and more prepared to face the challenges of the\ntimes? Between the two, there is often a gap that not everyone can\nbridge. For some small business operators\u2014warungs around schools, snack\nvendors, and micro-scale suppliers\u2014the shift in consumption patterns is\nnot just an adjustment. It is a shock. When food is provided centrally,\ncustomers who were once a source of livelihood slowly disappear. In\nseveral regions, complaints are emerging from vendors who claim to have\nlost part of their turnover since students\u2019 snacking habits changed. It\nmay not be recorded as large figures in official reports, but it feels\nreal to those who depend on daily transactions. In policy terms, this\ncondition is often called a \u2018side effect\u2019 or \u2018transition period\u2019. Terms\nthat sound light, as if time will resolve everything on its own. But in\neveryday life, this is not just a phase. It is about keeping the kitchen\nfires burning, school fees that must be paid, and living needs that\ncannot be postponed. There is no long term for those who live from\ntoday\u2019s earnings. It is here that a more fundamental issue arises: the\ninjustice of time. We ask some people to be patient for benefits that\nwill come. We believe that today\u2019s investment will bear fruit in the\nfuture. But we forget that not everyone has enough time to wait for the\nresults of that patience. Those who are hungry today can still be asked\nto hope for tomorrow.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mbg-who-pays-the-price-for-the-future-1776660657",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}