Banten Provincial Government Evaluates Free Nutritious Meal Programme Data

The Banten Provincial Government is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme during the school holiday period to rectify distribution imbalances and improve beneficiary data management in the field. Assistant for Regional Affairs I of Banten Province, who also serves as Deputy Chair of the Banten MBG Task Force, Komarudin, stated in Serang on Friday that the evaluation also aligns with policy adjustments following a change in central leadership. He said the main focus of this evaluation is to address the chaotic state of beneficiary data. Komarudin highlighted that some areas receive large allocations, while other target areas have not been reached at all. Through this evaluation process, the Banten Provincial Government plans to remap and reorganise the priority scale of recipients. Whereas the MBG programme previously targeted students in general, the focus may now shift to groups deemed most in need. ‘We will reassess who is truly most entitled to receive it. The priority policy direction could shift to toddlers, pregnant women, pre-school or kindergarten children, and communities in the 3T (frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged) regions,’ he said. Furthermore, Komarudin revealed a mismatch between beneficiary target achievement and infrastructure development. To date, the number of MBG beneficiaries in Banten has only reached 2.9 million people, falling short by approximately 600,000 from the initial target of 3.5 million. ‘Meanwhile, the number of operational MBG kitchens has actually exceeded the target. From a development target of 1,171 units, 1,340 kitchens have now been established,’ he said. As a result of this unbalanced infrastructure planning, 63 MBG kitchens in Banten are currently suspended. Komarudin stressed that operational kitchens could very likely be permanently closed if the new beneficiary needs map shows a mismatch. As a concrete corrective measure, he urged greater involvement of local governments in future data collection, given that local governments have the most comprehensive understanding of the concrete conditions and locations of communities most in need within their areas.