MBG Programme Deemed Strategic Foundation for Human Resources Development Towards Golden Indonesia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme implemented by President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is considered an important and strategic foundation in human resource (HR) development towards Golden Indonesia 2045.
Social security observer Teguh Purwanto stated that the MBG programme not only focuses on fulfilling the nutrition of Indonesian children but also has the potential to strengthen the ecosystem of national employment social security protection.
“MBG is not just about free nutritious food. There is a large ecosystem within it, starting from the workforce, distribution, management of public kitchens, to the sustainability of social security protection,” said Teguh in his statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Teguh, the success of the MBG programme is also determined by the quality of protection for the workers involved in the programme’s operational chain, including workers at the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG).
He noted that the MBG programme is projected to involve more than 25,000 SPPGs with a total of around 1.2 million workers across Indonesia.
“If the worker ecosystem is well protected, the quality of MBG services will also improve. Workers will feel safe, comfortable, and have a greater sense of responsibility towards the quality and success of the programme,” he said.
Teguh assessed that social protection for SPPG workers is important to create long-term social and economic stability.
He stated that such protection could include work accident insurance, health insurance, Old Age Security, death insurance, up to pension programmes.
“When workers feel protected from social risks, they will provide their best work quality for MBG quality. This is important because they are part of the system that supports the nutritional quality of the nation’s younger generation,” he said.
Teguh, who has more than three decades of experience in the field of employment social security, assessed that this approach aligns with the HR development vision in the Asta Cita of the Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration.
The man who graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Indonesia and the University of New South Wales, Australia, also viewed the MBG programme as a long-term investment to improve the nation’s quality and competitiveness on a global level.
Teguh admitted to having personal experience regarding the importance of nutritious eating patterns from an early age.
He said that although he came from a simple family, his parents still endeavoured to provide nutritious food to support child growth and development.
“From there, I learned that nutrition greatly determines the quality of future HR. When children are prepared from a young age with good nutrition, they have a greater chance to compete and develop in the future,” he said.
He hopes that the MBG programme can continue to be strengthened as part of the state’s grand strategy in building a healthy, productive, and superior Indonesian generation towards Golden Indonesia 2045.
“MBG is the initial step in building quality and superior Indonesian HR. This is not just a short-term programme, but a major national investment in the long term for a better future for Indonesia,” he concluded.