Chief of Presidential Staff Dudung Abdurachman Aids BGN in Refocusing Free Nutritious Meal Programme

Chief of Presidential Staff (KSP) Dudung Abdurachman has stressed that the government is finalising options to exclude children from well-off families from the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. The measure forms part of a refocusing and efficiency strategy designed to ensure the programme reaches groups requiring nutritional intervention. Dudung cited the example of certain schools in Jakarta where the student body is largely from economically secure families, estimating the beneficiary percentage might only cover around 40 per cent of pupils. “This means, for instance, if it is not needed, the children of wealthy parents will not be given it,” Dudung stated at the KSP Building in Jakarta on Wednesday (10/6). Earlier, Dudung held an audience with Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Nanik S Deyang to discuss a comprehensive evaluation of the MBG programme. The meeting, held at the KSP Office within the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday (11/6), focused on two crucial points: the accuracy of beneficiary targeting and the operational standardisation of kitchens. During the meeting, which was also attended by two BGN Deputy Heads, Agustina Arumsari and retired Major General Trenggono, Dudung emphasised the importance of refocusing beneficiaries. This was based on field findings indicating distribution ineffectiveness in several areas. Dudung revealed that spot checks uncovered cases where nutritious meals distributed in middle-to-upper economic bracket schools were not consumed optimally. Consequently, the KSP and BGN agreed to re-verify and re-validate the data, leading to a programme refocus. “I once checked and found several cases in Jakarta where food distributed in middle-class economic schools went uneaten. We will check again so that the MBG programme is truly effective,” Dudung said during a press briefing in Jakarta.