APPMBGI proposes five steps to strengthen governance of free nutritious meal programme

The Indonesian Association of Free Nutritious Meal Kitchen Entrepreneurs and Managers (APPMBGI) has proposed five steps to refine the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in order to strengthen the implementation of this national strategic programme. APPMBGI Chairman Abdul Rivai Ras stated that the proposal reflects the association’s commitment to supporting the sustainability of the MBG programme as a national strategic initiative to realise President Prabowo Subianto’s vision of building healthy, intelligent, and superior Indonesian human resources towards a Golden Indonesia 2045. “This programme is too important to be contested. What is needed today is not blaming one another, but improving together,” said Abdul Rivai Ras in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. He added that APPMBGI will continue to be a strategic partner to the government in overseeing the Free Nutritious Meal programme so that it becomes better, more accountable, and its benefits are increasingly felt by all Indonesian people. The fourth proposal is to provide certainty regarding the timeline for the verification and operationalisation of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) that have met the requirements. The fifth proposal is to build a more responsive communication system to address various issues in the regions. For APPMBGI, the MBG programme is not merely a food provision scheme, but a long-term national investment in improving children’s nutritional quality, reducing stunting rates, and strengthening food security. “While simultaneously driving regional economies through the involvement of farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, MSMEs, cooperatives, and thousands of workers involved in the programme’s supply chain,” he said. He added that the success of this programme will be an important legacy for the quality development of Indonesia’s future generations. Therefore, all parties must prioritise a spirit of collaboration, professionalism, and shared responsibility so that the MBG programme can run more effectively, accountably, and provide maximum benefits for the Indonesian people.