BGN Hopes Workers and MBG Beneficiaries Will Be Protected by BPJS Health

The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana hopes that beneficiaries and workers involved in the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme can be protected by BPJS Kesehatan. As of today (4 March), there are 24,443 nutrition service units (SPPG) across Indonesia. Of these, 1.2 million workers directly involved in MBG have served 61.2 million beneficiaries from Sabang to Merauke. ‘For workers or all parties directly involved in MBG, the essential part is how to ensure that health insurance for the workers involved provides adequate social protection,’ Dadan said at the BPJS Kesehatan Tanggap launch in Jakarta, on Wednesday (4 March). ‘At present we are only providing BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, and those not yet (BPJS) health, and we hope that with the new programme we still need to study together,’ he added. In addition, he hopes health insurance protection is also applied to MBG beneficiaries. ‘We need health protection. In our minds, how this programme also provides protection for beneficiaries who will soon reach its peak, so that everyone will feel protected in all activities,’ he said. BGN welcomed the launch of the BPJS Kesehatan Tanggap programme and hopes for collaboration between BGN and BPJS Kesehatan to explore mechanisms that can be synergised for Indonesian society. ‘This programme, I think, is very important for all Indonesians and especially for MBG, because MBG has developed so rapidly,’ he concluded. (Z-10) The Secretary to the Cabinet, Teddy Indra Wijaya, firmly denied narratives linking the MBG programme to budget cuts and education programmes. The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) together with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) are finalising the MBG scheme for the elderly and people with disabilities. BGN reiterates that the MBG budget for food ingredients is Rp8–10 thousand per portion. The remainder of the budget is allocated for operational and SPPG facilities. BGN stresses that the MBG kitchen must not depend on a small number of suppliers. Micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM), farmers, ranchers, and local fishermen must be involved as suppliers. BGN rejects the viral narrative that MBG partners profit Rp1.8 billion per year. The figure is gross revenue, not net profit. In addition to protection through BPJS, the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government (Pemprov Kalteng) is preparing an additional safety net for residents who are not yet registered but face emergency medical conditions. The Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian parliament (MPR) and Chair of the Democratic Party Faction, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (Ibas), emphasised the importance of a national health insurance system. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said that the BPJS Kesehatan PBI participants of 11.896 million who had been deactivated have been reactivated. An UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta sociologist, Dr. Tantan Hermansah, explained the need for public education to adopt healthy living habits and to pay contributions for BPJS Kesehatan participants. Minister of Social Affairs Gus Ipul announced that 869 thousand PBI JKN participants have been reactivated after being deactivated. See the latest reactivation scheme and eligibility requirements here.