Citing Japan as Example, Head of National Nutrition Agency Highlights Positive Impacts of Consistent Nutrition Programme

JAKARTA - The West Sumatra Regional Leadership Council of the Indonesian Nutritious Kitchen Entrepreneurs Association (DPW Gapembi) was officially inaugurated at The ZHM Premiere Hotel on Wednesday (22/4/2026). During the inauguration, Agung Adithia Lingga was sworn in as Chairman of DPW Gapembi West Sumatra. The event was attended by the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) of Indonesia, Dadan Hindayana, Deputy Governor of West Sumatra Vasko Ruseimy, West Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Gatot Tri Suryanta, and Mayor of Padang Fadly Amran, along with local government officials. “The number of kitchens that have been operational has reached 27,000 units. This programme is increasingly demonstrating positive impacts on economic growth, particularly in the food and distribution sectors,” he stated. He added that to date, nearly Rp60 trillion has been channelled to beneficiary communities. Dadan also touched on the importance of building human resource quality through nutritional fulfilment, citing Japan as an example. Meanwhile, the General Chairman of the Central Executive Board of Gapembi, Alven Stony, reaffirmed the organisation’s full support for the implementation of the MBG programme. He assessed that the programme provides significant benefits for improving the quality of Indonesia’s future generations. The Deputy Governor of West Sumatra, Vasko Ruseimy, emphasised the importance of taste aspects in the MBG programme. According to him, in addition to meeting nutritional standards, the food served must also be appealing and suited to the tastes of the beneficiaries. A similar sentiment was expressed by the Mayor of Padang, Fadly Amran. He stressed that the success of the MBG programme is not only determined by nutritional content but also by community acceptance of the provided food. “Menus must be well-composed, so that in addition to being rich in nutrients, they can also enhance appetite,” he said. Fadly added that the local government fully supports the MBG programme because it is seen as making a significant contribution to building the quality of Indonesia’s generations.