Kupang's Free Nutritious Meal Programme Encouraged to Drive Local Economy
Kupang (ANTARA) - East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Melki Laka Lena has stressed that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme is not only aimed at improving the community’s nutritional quality but must also become a driver of regional economic growth through the utilisation of local products and the involvement of local business actors.
“The Free Nutritious Meal Programme Task Force must be a momentum to evaluate and strengthen the programme’s implementation so that its benefits not only improve the community’s nutritional status but also drive regional economic growth through the involvement of farmers, livestock breeders, MSME players, and the optimisation of local NTT products in the programme’s supply chain,” Melki said while opening the Kupang City MBG Programme Task Force Coordination Meeting in Kupang on Friday.
According to Melki, MBG is one of the national programmes that provides a direct economic impact because it creates daily money circulation, opens job opportunities, and involves many business actors in the provision of foodstuffs. He mentioned that with around 107,000 beneficiaries in Kupang City, the potential economic turnover from the programme is estimated to reach IDR 440 billion.
Therefore, the regional government needs to ensure that this significant economic value is truly enjoyed by the community, especially farmers, livestock breeders, and local business actors who are part of the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) supply chain. “The benefits of the MBG Programme must be maximised, both in improving the community’s nutritional status and providing a broad economic impact,” he said.
Melki also requested that all SPPG kitchens optimise the use of local NTT commodities so that the programme can strengthen the regional economy while improving community welfare. He hopes that Kupang City can become a model for MBG implementation for other districts through the ‘MBG NTT Incorporated’ concept, which involves all stakeholders in building a local food-based economic ecosystem.
Kupang Mayor Christian Widodo said that Kupang City currently has 42 SPPG kitchens with an economic turnover value of around IDR 9 billion. According to him, the coordination meeting brought together food suppliers, SPPG managers, and various stakeholders to strengthen the supply chain and improve the effectiveness of the programme’s implementation.
The Kupang City Government has also formed an MBG Task Force that will conduct routine monitoring of SPPG kitchen operations, including aspects of sanitation, food safety, and waste management, so that the programme can run sustainably and provide both economic and social benefits to the community.