Luhut Urges End to Debate on Free Nutritious Meals Programme, Calls It a 'Good Thing'

National Economic Council (DEN) Chairman Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has urged an end to the debate surrounding the free nutritious meals (MBG) project, asserting it is a sound government initiative. “I think we should stop quarrelling about MBG. It is a good thing. It is just the management that we must, of course, improve,” Luhut said after meeting President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, 9 June 2026. The retired army general stated that the economic council he leads had conducted a professional independent survey at 800 nutritional fulfilment service units (SPPG) regarding the MBG’s implementation. On the same occasion, DEN Secretary Septian Hario Seto explained that the survey, financed directly by the council, was carried out by taking random samples in 800 MBG kitchen locations spread across various regions of Indonesia. Based on the survey results, the DEN discovered new economic opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises around the SPPG locations. “The first positive result we see is that 86.9 per cent of the existing SPPGs have at least one small supplier. So these are MSMEs that are indeed located near the SPPG location. On average, three MSMEs are partnered with each SPPG,” Seto stated. Seto said the MBG project has encouraged the formation of a new supply chain involving local business actors. The DEN noted that approximately 65 per cent of MSMEs involved in the MBG supply chain come from the same district as the kitchen location. “So it is also important to note that these are not large suppliers entering, but MSMEs that emerge are indeed MSMEs within the district or location where the SPPG is situated,” he said. Furthermore, Seto added, the DEN survey also showed the impact of MBG on local employment absorption. “The third finding is regarding labour; almost 99 per cent are indeed from local residents,” Seto concluded.