MBG Continues to Undergo Refinements and Policy Improvements

The Indonesian government is not turning a blind eye to the shortcomings of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, which continues to undergo refinements and policy improvements on a national scale in line with its field implementation. “The government is not ignoring the deficiencies. On the contrary, they are part of the correction and refinement process,” said Presidential Special Envoy for Food Security, Muhamad Mardiono, in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday. Nevertheless, he cautioned that these shortcomings should not be used as a tool to erode public trust in a programme that clearly benefits the people. Mardiono also did not deny the existence of individuals attempting to exploit the MBG programme for personal gain, but this should not serve as a reason to stop a programme whose benefits are widely felt by society. If there are deviant individuals, he said, those individuals must be dealt with firmly, not the programme halted. He assessed that various narratives attempting to discredit the MBG programme do not reflect the factual conditions on the ground, as based on direct monitoring, the programme has received widespread acceptance from the public. “This is a programme that touches on the basic needs of the people, while also stimulating the local economy. Therefore, it is highly inappropriate if there is reporting that steers opinion as if this programme has failed,” he said. Furthermore, he emphasised the direction of President Prabowo Subianto’s policies at present, namely carrying out fundamental reforms to national economic governance, including stopping various old practices that harm the state, particularly in the management of natural resources. Mardiono stated that all parties must not turn a blind eye to the fact that there have long been leakages and corrupt practices in the management of natural resources. According to him, the transformation carried out by the government aims to build a fair and sovereign economic structure. Thus, he invited all elements of the nation not to get trapped in narratives that weaken unity and to collectively support the national transformation agenda. “This is a momentum to correct the nation’s direction; do not let narrow interests hinder the great struggle towards economic justice. The government will remain steadfast on the side of the people,” said Mardiono.