Health Minister prepares nutrition experts to support four-step MBG programme overhaul

The Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, stated that his ministry supports the four steps taken by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in an effort to restructure the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, such as preparing health and child nutrition experts from within the Ministry of Health.

These four steps include refocusing the beneficiaries, implementing a moratorium on the construction of new kitchens, improving existing operational kitchens, and developing a new implementation scheme for the MBG programme in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions.

“Whomever is chosen, please proceed; we will prepare the best. It is up to you to decide,” said Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin during a meeting with the BGN in Jakarta on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the Head of the BGN, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, stated that the agency requires support from the Ministry of Health regarding the refocusing of beneficiaries, as the future target groups for the MBG programme are pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers (3B), which falls under the domain of the Ministry of Health.

Nanik expressed her gratitude for the appreciation and support shown by the Minister of Health, Buju Gunadi Sadikin, and his entire staff to the BGN.

“In the future, God willing, this cooperation will continue and grow even stronger in our efforts to prepare Indonesia’s Golden Generation of 2045,” she said.

“I feel pleased to be accompanied by a financial auditor with 36 years of experience and a general who will support me,” added Nanik.

Nanik also emphasised that the leadership of the BGN is now based on a collective-collegial principle. As the Head of the BGN, she will not make decisions on various issues without the approval of her two deputies.

“I am merely the ‘class monitor’. All decisions will be made together,” she concluded.