Komnas HAM Issues Six Recommendations for Implementing the Free Nutritious Meals Programme

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has issued six recommendations for the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. The recommendations follow the commission’s monitoring and review of the programme.

First, Komnas HAM called on BGM to ensure the programme reaches its intended recipients by prioritising vulnerable groups, pupils from low-income households, and communities in areas prone to food and nutrition insecurity and in 3T regions — frontier, outermost and least developed areas — on the basis of accurate data.

Second, Komnas HAM urged stronger governance, transparency, accountability and cross-sector coordination, including through revisions to Presidential Regulation No. 115 of 2025.

“It is important to clarify the division of authority between the central government, regional governments, the Indonesian Military and the National Police,” Komnas HAM Commissioner Uli Parulian Sihombing said on Thursday (8 October 2026).

Third, Komnas HAM stressed that food safety and nutritional quality must be the top priorities. This should be pursued by strengthening food safety standards, meeting SLHS hygiene and sanitation certification requirements, supervising SPPGs, managing waste, providing transparent nutritional information, and establishing swift and transparent procedures to treat and support victims of food poisoning.

“Fourth, workers at SPPGs must have their rights protected through secure employment status, fair wages, occupational health and safety protections, reasonable working hours and social security,” Uli said.