House Member Proposes Prioritising Free Nutritious Meals for Toddlers and Junior High Students

Deputy Chairman of House Commission IX Yahya Zaini has proposed that the refocusing of beneficiaries for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme be prioritised for toddlers and junior high school (SMP) students. According to him, these groups are the most in need of nutritional intake. ‘Because they are still in a growth period that requires high nutritional intake,’ Yahya said via WhatsApp message on Sunday, 19 July 2026. He continued that under this scheme, senior high school (SMA) students would no longer receive MBG interventions to meet their daily nutritional needs. Yahya explained that for senior high school students, the MBG intervention does not have a significant impact. ‘The refocusing of beneficiaries must be done carefully, including ensuring the decile of each family,’ said the Golkar Party politician. Previously, the plan to refocus the MBG project beneficiaries was conveyed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to legislators of Commission IX during a closed meeting held on Monday, 15 June 2026. BGN Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari stated that the refocusing was considered to ensure beneficiaries are right on target and to achieve budget efficiency. Meanwhile, during a hearing on Thursday, 16 July 2026, the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) stated that the number of MBG beneficiaries should be cut from 82 million to 26 million according to needs and objectives. Deputy Chairman of Commission IX Charles Honoris agreed with Celios’ presentation. He said that if the original goal of the MBG project is to improve child nutrition and reduce stunting, then not all children should be categorised as beneficiaries. Therefore, Charles stated that Commission IX plans to form a working committee (Panja) to address various issues within the MBG programme. ‘With the Panja, it is hoped that there will be specific and comprehensive measures on how this programme can move forward,’ said the PDIP politician.