BGN Strengthens Coordination with Regional Governments to Optimise Free Nutritious Meal Programme

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is strengthening coordination with regional governments to oversee the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, ensuring it runs more optimally across the regions. BGN Head Sudaryono, familiarly known as Mas Dar, stated that reinforcing coordination with local administrations is a crucial part of the MBG rollout, as they play a direct role in supporting various aspects of the programme’s execution in their respective areas. “We express our highest appreciation to the regional heads who have been accompanying the MBG programme, both in supporting its proper implementation and, we apologise, whenever there have been accidents or poisoning incidents,” he said during a Special Coordination Meeting with the Home Affairs Minister and regional heads throughout Indonesia in Jakarta on Thursday. He noted that the BGN requires the support and collaboration of regional governments to ensure that any issues in the implementation of MBG can be addressed collectively. The agency is ready to collaborate with all parties, including regional heads, the general public, and parents of students, to ensure the programme runs well and that problems on the ground are handled together. Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian urged regional governments to strengthen collaboration with the BGN. He said the involvement of local administrations is necessary in several aspects of the MBG’s implementation. “Essentially, the BGN is requesting collaboration with all regional governments. Automatically, from the Home Affairs Ministry, we support facilitating this communication. Regional governments are asked to get involved in the MBG programme,” he said. He also expressed hope that each regional agency would take on its respective role to support the MBG’s implementation. He assessed that cross-agency involvement is necessary so that regional government support for the programme can run optimally. “Then, of course, the Education Agencies play a role in collecting data on beneficiaries, while the Health Agencies also participate in overseeing hygiene issues at the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG),” Tito said.