Deputy Home Affairs Minister: Free Nutritious Meals Programme Also Drives Economy and Education
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto has said that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme not only builds better health for the nation’s children but also helps drive the economy and education.
“The MBG has been designed to focus not only on health, but also on economic empowerment and education. That is why the Ministry of Home Affairs is focused on ensuring that all regional heads continue to work in synergy,” Bima said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.
Bima therefore stressed the importance of programme governance being implemented in a measurable, coordinated and integrated manner between central and regional government.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, he said, is ensuring that regional heads continue to coordinate with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) across all regions.
Bima explained that there are 17 roles for regional governments in supporting the MBG, including ecosystem strengthening, food safety, beneficiary data collection, and health education and monitoring. These are in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 115 of 2025 on the Governance of the MBG Programme.
He revealed that the Ministry of Home Affairs is currently finalising a Circular Letter as a technical guide for regional heads to carry out their roles in a more structured and measurable way. The circular is also intended to prevent overlapping authority between ministries and agencies, and to encourage cross-departmental involvement of Regional Apparatus Organisations (OPD).
One key point emphasised is that the circular will regulate the strengthening of the Hygiene and Sanitation Feasibility System (SLHS), aligned with Government Regulation No. 1 of 2026 on Food Safety.
“So that other agencies or OPDs can also be involved. Not just the Health Office, but also food security bodies, and in coordination with the National Food and Drug Authority (BPOM). So the Circular Letter from the Minister of Home Affairs will focus firstly on a more detailed SLHS, and secondly on supply chain strengthening,” he said.
Bima affirmed that the Ministry of Home Affairs is encouraging the involvement of relevant OPDs, the private sector, communities, and Village/Sub-district Merah Putih Cooperatives to ensure the quality, quantity and continuity of food supplies for the MBG.
On the health front, Bima also stressed the importance of routine monitoring of children’s nutritional status. He urged that technical monitoring mechanisms be coordinated with stakeholders so that evaluations can be conducted periodically.
“We must think about the technical mechanisms — whether through the BGN, the Health Office, or incorporated into the free health checks. So every three months we can monitor our children,” he added.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs is ensuring that planning and budgeting support through Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budgets (APBD) is aligned with MBG targets. This has been accommodated through the regulation of sub-activity nomenclature and account codes.
“So we are making sure everything is synchronised between the targets in MBG governance and the APBD planning cycle — the nomenclature, account codes, and so on,” he said.