MBG Reaches 27,000 SPPG Units with Budget Absorption of Rp60 Trillion

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) has reached 27,000 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) throughout Indonesia, with budget absorption reaching Rp60 trillion.

“Alhamdulillah, it is now spread across all of Indonesia, and today it has absorbed a Rp60 trillion budget, which has been fully distributed from Sabang to Merauke, driving the wheels of the economy in various regions,” Dadan said in an official statement in Jakarta on Monday.

When explaining the development and impact of the MBG Programme during the retreat for chairs of regional people’s representative councils (DPRD) across Indonesia in Magelang on Saturday (18/4), Dadan outlined that the programme stems from President Prabowo Subianto’s attention to Indonesia’s high population growth, which must be matched by improvements in human resource quality.

“This programme actually originated from the President’s concerns, because Indonesia is still growing by six people per minute, three million per year, and will continue to grow to reach 324 million by 2045. Now, the issue is not the growth itself, but where that growth is coming from,” he said.

He highlighted the still low average length of education among Indonesians, which is only nine years. This results in many children unable to access balanced nutritious meals.

“So, Indonesian children today are mostly born to parents with only primary school education, so it’s no surprise that 60 percent of children do not have access to balanced nutritious meals, 60 percent of children rarely drink milk or cannot afford milk,” he explained.

Dadan also emphasised that the success of this programme is expected to curb stunting rates and improve the intelligence of future generations.

“We hope that with this programme, stunting can be prevented, because Indonesia’s average IQ is currently 78. Therefore, with the presence of this programme, we hope that in the next 10 to 15 years, those born today and who will become productive workers will no longer be stunted, and their height will increase because we are intervening from now,” he stated.