MBG Watch Coalition Urges Public to Keep Voicing Concerns Over Free Nutritious Meals Programme

A crowd under the MBG Watch Coalition banner held a protest in front of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) office in Central Jakarta. During the action, the coalition called on the public to continue monitoring and voicing criticism over issues within the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Constitutional law expert Bivitri Susanti assessed that various criticisms of the MBG programme have long been raised by a number of institutions and community groups. However, she noted that this input has yet to receive an adequate response from policymakers. “Today we must be as loud as possible, because it feels like if we are not noisy, it will just carry on,” Bivitri said during her oration in front of the BGN office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. Bivitri said public oversight of government programmes must be continuously maintained and urged the public not to stop voicing their views and criticisms regarding the MBG programme. At the end of her speech, Bivitri again called on the public not to remain silent in addressing the various issues they believe have emerged in the programme’s implementation. She argued that MBG needs to be temporarily halted for a total evaluation. During the action, the crowd also conveyed a number of demands to the government, ranging from a moratorium on the MBG programme and a budget audit, to a comprehensive evaluation of the programme’s governance. External Advocacy Coordinator for MBG Watch, Galau D Muhammad, stated that public oversight is necessary so that the implementation of a programme using state funds can proceed transparently and accountably. He assessed that the MBG programme needs to be subject to a moratorium for a full review, highlighting questions over the effectiveness of the programme’s budget use. Galau further argued that the large MBG budget should be redirected for the broader public interest, touching on the recent increase in Pertamax fuel prices.