BGN Evaluates Free Nutritious Meal Recipients; Schools May No Longer Be the Priority

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik S. Deyang, stated that the policy is part of a refocusing of beneficiaries currently being prepared by the new BGN leadership. She noted that the underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions will become the primary focus of the programme.

“Furthermore, there will be a refocusing. For instance, if there are expensive schools, we will ask whether the MBG is still necessary. We will then reallocate those resources to the 3T regions,” Nanik said during a press conference at the BGN Office in Central Jakarta on Thursday (4/6/2026).

According to Nanik, the restructuring of target recipients is being conducted to ensure the MBG programme is more precisely targeted and can reach groups that are truly in need. Consequently, the BGN will prioritise 3T regions that have so far not been optimally served.

“In essence, the number of beneficiaries could actually increase, but the additions would involve reducing those who may not have been the focus previously,” she added.

She emphasised that the government’s focus is not merely on expanding the number of beneficiaries, but also on ensuring that vulnerable groups and hard-to-reach areas gain access to the MBG programme. In addition to 3T regions, the BGN will pay special attention to the ‘3B’ group: pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers. Nanik noted that these groups are vital targets because the early stages of life are the most critical periods for nutritional intervention.

“After discussing with experts, paediatricians, and nutritionists, they have stated that nutritional intervention is most effective from the first month of pregnancy until the age of 9, or until primary school. That is where we are focusing our efforts,” she said.

Nanik explained that this refocusing policy is part of four steps being prepared by the BGN to improve the implementation of the MBG. In addition to evaluating beneficiaries, the BGN will implement a temporary moratorium on the construction of new kitchens, renovate existing operational kitchens, and expand the programme’s implementation in 3T regions using a more efficient scheme.

On the other hand, Nanik revealed that many MBG kitchens are currently concentrated in urban and agglomeration areas, while several 3T regions have yet to be optimally reached by the programme.

“To be honest, right now they are concentrated in agglomerations, while the 3T regions have not been touched. Therefore, the President’s instruction to us is that we must prioritise the 3T regions first,” she concluded.