Karawang Regent urges public and teachers to monitor free nutritious meals programme

Karawang (ANTARA) - Karawang Regent Aep Syaepuloh has urged the public and teachers to monitor the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme in schools to ensure its implementation adheres to prevailing regulations. “Don’t be afraid; if there is any fraud in the distribution of MBG, just report it directly to me. Let’s monitor the distribution of MBG in every school,” the regent said after inaugurating hundreds of elementary and junior high school principals in Karawang on Thursday. According to him, the role and assistance of teachers will greatly help curb MBG fraud. If any school party reports suspicions or irregularities in the MBG programme, the regent stated he is ready to protect them. The distribution of MBG in every school, he said, has been regulated by the government, so its implementation must follow the stipulated provisions and rules. He gave an example that every school is entitled to MBG funds of Rp10,000, and it should be worth Rp10,000. It must not be taken or reduced for any other purposes, no matter the reason. “Then, the allocation for the kitchen or operations should not be taken for other matters. If it is taken, it is not good and can cause problems. So, it’s best to follow the rules so everything runs smoothly without issues,” he said. According to Aep, the circulation of funds from MBG in Karawang reaches Rp2 trillion per year. With such a large circulation of money, oversight from all parties, including teachers, is needed. “I will go to great lengths to protect teachers who reveal fraud in the MBG programme,” he said.