House Commission IX Welcomes Prabowo's Instruction for Ministers to Help Fix Free Nutritious Meals Programme
President Prabowo Subianto has issued instructions through the leadership of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for all relevant ministers to help fix the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Charles Honoris, Deputy Chairman of House Commission IX of the House of Representatives, has welcomed the move positively.
“Yes, I think this is a very positive and good step. If we look at what happened under the previous leadership, they acted as though they were a superbody, doing everything themselves without involving other institutions and agencies,” Charles told reporters at the DPR building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (16/7/2026).
Charles said the involvement of the relevant ministers could improve the governance of the MBG programme.
“With joint coordination involving other stakeholders — whether the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, or regional governments — the governance of this programme will certainly improve,” he said.
Charles also reminded the relevant ministers to re-evaluate the programme’s beneficiaries. According to him, there is no need to force the programme to reach 82 million recipients.
“There is no need to force the figure of 82 million; the focus should be on those who genuinely need it,” he said.
Prabowo’s instruction
As is widely known, President Prabowo Subianto instructed all relevant ministries and agencies to assist the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in fixing the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. The effort will be coordinated by the Coordinating Minister for Food.
This was conveyed by BGN Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari following a limited meeting with Prabowo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/7). The directive was one of the main points of the meeting, given that the MBG programme is no easy task as it targets millions of beneficiaries.
“And the most important point in the meeting earlier was that the President assigned all relevant ministers to help the BGN leadership carry out the fixes. That was his direct order. So, there is the Ministry of Finance, the BPKP, and whoever else — all to be coordinated by the Coordinating Minister for Food,” Agustina said.
“For us as the BGN leadership, what makes us happiest is his instruction to all the ministries to help the BGN leadership fix this programme, because we know it is not easy — it involves millions of beneficiaries,” she continued.