Free Nutritious Meal Programme Assessed to Boost Local Economy, Public Urged to Oversee Implementation

The Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme is considered to not only play a role in improving children’s nutrition but also to have the potential to drive the local economy through the involvement of local businesses in the supply chain. Therefore, public participation in overseeing the programme’s implementation is deemed important to ensure its benefits are felt optimally. This view was expressed by the Yogyakarta Special Region Alliance of Volunteers Who Care for the Nation during a statement of attitude in Yogyakarta on Friday (19/6). They invited the public to help monitor the MBG to ensure it runs transparently, is well-targeted, accountable, and sustainable. Field Action Coordinator Raihan Evan stated that MBG is one of the government’s efforts to prepare healthy and productive human resources for the future. “This programme is important for creating a healthy, intelligent, and productive Indonesian generation,” Evan said. He noted that the programme’s impact is not only felt by the beneficiaries but also by the community members involved in providing food supplies. The involvement of farmers, fishermen, livestock breeders, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is seen as capable of creating economic turnover in the regions. He assessed that good programme management can produce layered effects, ranging from job creation and improved community welfare to supporting the quality of national education. On the same occasion, the volunteers also highlighted the importance of public oversight of government programmes. They emphasised that strengthening an anti-corruption culture is an essential part of realising clean governance with integrity. “We urge law enforcement officials to take firm action against perpetrators of corruption in accordance with the law, and to ensure the legal process is fair, transparent, and independent,” Evan stated. The volunteers also called on the public to maintain unity and the spirit of mutual cooperation amidst evolving social and political dynamics. They argued that differences of opinion in a democracy should not be a source of division, but rather energy to strengthen national life. Meanwhile, several residents acknowledged the economic benefits derived from their involvement in the MBG programme. Septi Kurnarni, a mother of three who works in an MBG kitchen, said the programme has provided additional income for her family. “By working in the MBG kitchen, my family’s economy has been greatly helped. I now have an income to support my family,” she said. A similar sentiment was shared by Nani Rachman, who is also involved in the programme’s implementation. She said the MBG programme has opened up job opportunities while providing economic benefits to the community. “I have directly felt the benefits of the MBG Programme. Besides contributing to providing nutritious food for children, this programme has also greatly helped my family’s economy because it gives us the opportunity to earn an income,” she said. She expressed hope that the programme would continue so that its benefits could be felt more widely, especially by families in need of additional sources of income.