Coordinating Minister Zulhas Acknowledges BGN Partner Concerns, Vows No Sacrifice of Partners

Coordinating Minister for Food and Chair of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Task Force, Zulkifli Hasan, understands the various concerns felt by partners of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in implementing the Free Nutritious Meals Programme. The government is therefore committed to ensuring that partners who have invested and sacrificed for the success of this national strategic programme are not harmed. “I know the partners’ concerns. Many partners have already made sacrifices. All reports will certainly be checked and reviewed. Partners are asked to wait because we are also establishing communication with the new Head of BGN,” said Zulkifli Hasan during an audience with the MBG Partner Presidium at the Coordinating Ministry for Food office in Jakarta on Thursday. Zulhas also confirmed that the MBG Partner Presidium would be involved in a coordination forum with BGN and other stakeholders. “The Presidium will be invited to a limited coordination meeting with BGN and relevant stakeholders so that various issues on the ground can be discussed and solutions found together,” he stated. The audience was attended by chairpersons, vice chairpersons, and secretaries-general from several MBG partner organisations within the MBG Partner Presidium, including the Indonesian Nutritious Food Entrepreneurs Association (Gapembi), the Golden Generation Kitchen Partners Association (HMD GEMAS), and the Indonesian Food and Nutrition Association for Disadvantaged, Frontier, and Outermost Regions (APGI3T). Also present were the United Community Mutual Cooperation Volunteers (REL MBG), the Alliance for Monitoring National Nutrition Agency Programmes (APPBGN), and the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU). During the meeting, the MBG Partner Presidium conveyed several aspirations, including the need for partner involvement in policy formulation, evaluation of the moratorium policy, legal protection, business certainty, and strengthening communication between BGN and implementing partners in the field. Gapembi Chairperson Alven Stony stated that partner associations need to be involved in meetings, discussions, and policy formulation with BGN. He argued that the involvement of associations would serve as an effective communication bridge between BGN and partners on the ground, while also helping to resolve various programme implementation obstacles.