Bupati Fawait Ensures Free Nutritious Meal Programme Ready to Support Child Nutrition and Regional Economy
The Jember District Government has confirmed that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme has a significant impact on society, particularly in improving child nutrition quality and promoting local economic growth. This was stated by Jember District Bupati Muhammad Fawait during a visit to the Nutrition Service Unit (SPPG) Curahlele Balung in Balung District on Monday, 16 March 2026.
“This MBG programme is very helpful for the Jember District Government,” said the Bupati, commonly known as Gus Fawait. On the matter of addressing child nutrition problems, he continued, the impact is very noticeable. Furthermore, the programme has created new employment opportunities for the community. “We can see for ourselves that the majority of workers are Jember residents, particularly those living near the kitchen location,” he said.
According to Gus Fawait, the economic impact of the programme is also very significant. If all SPPG units in Jember operate optimally, the budget circulation entering the region is estimated to reach trillions of rupiah.
The Bupati also responded to various opinions circulating about the MBG programme. According to him, many residents actually hope the programme will expand more rapidly.
“I see on social media many people who hope to receive MBG,” said Gus Fawait. According to him, there are parents who say they have not received MBG and ask when the programme will arrive at their location. “This means the programme is indeed very much expected by the community,” he said.
The Bupati also emphasised that the MBG menu standards have been clearly established, so they need to be understood by the community to avoid misunderstandings. “Many misunderstand. From the budget of 15,000 rupiah per portion, 10,000 rupiah is allocated for food menu. But with this 10,000 rupiah, we can see that it already meets the nutritional and caloric standards that have been set,” he said.
During his inspection of the Curahlele Balung SPPG kitchen, the Bupati directly witnessed the food provision process which includes rice, side dishes, fruit, dates, and nuts that have been adapted to student nutritional requirement standards. The visit to the Curahlele Balung SPPG was the main focus to directly observe the readiness of the nutritious meal food production kitchen for students. Nevertheless, the Jember District Government continues to conduct evaluations of all existing SPPG units.
Head of SPPG Curahlele Balung, Frida, stated that all food processing is conducted with strict supervision to ensure food quality and safety. According to her, the food materials used are always fresh and delivered daily to ensure no materials are stored for too long.
“All the materials we use are fresh. Usually materials arrive on the same day, then are immediately processed. Sometimes in the evening or at night, packaging for distribution is carried out,” said Frida.
From a supervision perspective, the SPPG kitchen is also equipped with a monitoring system that allows work processes to be monitored directly. “Supervision is conducted internally by the kitchen team, and also through CCTV installed at various points. Monitoring can be done directly from the office to ensure all processes run according to standard,” she said.
Currently, SPPG Curahlele Balung prepares 2,242 nutritious meal packages daily that are distributed to students from nine educational institutions in the area. As Eid al-Fitr holiday approaches, meal distribution is conducted using a batch system for three days at once.
The visit was part of the public service monitoring agenda and ensuring the readiness of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme implementation, which is a flagship programme of President Prabowo Subianto. During the inspection, the Bupati was accompanied by the Head of the MBG Task Force who also serves as the Acting Regional Secretary of Jember District.
Through this visit, the Jember District Government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring all MBG programme implementation runs according to established standards, whilst providing tangible benefits for improving child nutrition, labour absorption, and strengthening the economy of communities in the region.