Ministry of Home Affairs Prepares Technical Guidelines for Regional Heads on Free Nutritious Meal Programme
The Ministry of Home Affairs is finalising a circular letter to serve as technical guidance for regional heads in implementing the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto said the circular aims to prevent overlapping authority between ministries and agencies whilst encouraging cross-organisational involvement of regional apparatus.
"So that other agencies or regional apparatus organisations can also be involved. Not only the Health Office, but also food security agencies, and coordination with the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM)," he said, as quoted in a Ministry of Home Affairs press release on Friday, 20 February 2026.
The circular will, among other things, regulate the strengthening of the Hygiene Sanitation Feasibility System (SLHS), aligned with Government Regulation (PP) No. 1 of 2026 on Food Safety. "The circular from the Minister of Home Affairs will focus firstly on a more detailed SLHS, and secondly on strengthening the supply chain," he said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Bima explained, is encouraging the involvement of relevant regional apparatus organisations, the private sector, communities, and Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives to ensure the quality, quantity, and continuity of food supplies for the MBG programme.
Bima outlined 17 roles for regional governments in supporting MBG, including ecosystem strengthening, food safety, beneficiary data collection, and health education and monitoring. These are in accordance with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 115 of 2025 on the Governance of the MBG Programme.
"MBG is designed not only to focus on health, but also on economic empowerment and education," he said.
On the health aspect, Bima emphasised the importance of routine monitoring of children's nutritional status. He urged that technical monitoring mechanisms be synergised with stakeholders so that evaluations can be conducted periodically.
"We need to think about the technical mechanisms — whether through the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the health offices, or integrated into the free health check-ups. So every three months we can monitor our children," he added.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs is ensuring that planning and budgeting support through regional revenue and expenditure budgets (APBD) is aligned with MBG targets. This has been accommodated through the regulation of sub-activity nomenclature and account codes.
"We are ensuring everything is synchronised between the MBG governance targets and the APBD planning cycle, its nomenclature, account codes, and so forth," he said.
Bima made these remarks at a coordination meeting in Surabaya on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The meeting was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Head of the National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and the East Java Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda).
On Friday, 13 February 2026, President Prabowo Subianto said the MBG programme in its first year had reached 60 million beneficiaries across Indonesia.
The Gerindra Party chairman said the number of MBG beneficiaries was equivalent to feeding the entire population of South Africa every day. "Or the equivalent of 10 times Singapore, or twice Malaysia," he said.
Prabowo said he would continue to implement the programme, expressing confidence that the government was on the right path. "We want to save children and they say we're being insulting," Prabowo said.
"So that other agencies or regional apparatus organisations can also be involved. Not only the Health Office, but also food security agencies, and coordination with the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM)," he said, as quoted in a Ministry of Home Affairs press release on Friday, 20 February 2026.
The circular will, among other things, regulate the strengthening of the Hygiene Sanitation Feasibility System (SLHS), aligned with Government Regulation (PP) No. 1 of 2026 on Food Safety. "The circular from the Minister of Home Affairs will focus firstly on a more detailed SLHS, and secondly on strengthening the supply chain," he said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Bima explained, is encouraging the involvement of relevant regional apparatus organisations, the private sector, communities, and Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives to ensure the quality, quantity, and continuity of food supplies for the MBG programme.
Bima outlined 17 roles for regional governments in supporting MBG, including ecosystem strengthening, food safety, beneficiary data collection, and health education and monitoring. These are in accordance with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 115 of 2025 on the Governance of the MBG Programme.
"MBG is designed not only to focus on health, but also on economic empowerment and education," he said.
On the health aspect, Bima emphasised the importance of routine monitoring of children's nutritional status. He urged that technical monitoring mechanisms be synergised with stakeholders so that evaluations can be conducted periodically.
"We need to think about the technical mechanisms — whether through the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the health offices, or integrated into the free health check-ups. So every three months we can monitor our children," he added.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs is ensuring that planning and budgeting support through regional revenue and expenditure budgets (APBD) is aligned with MBG targets. This has been accommodated through the regulation of sub-activity nomenclature and account codes.
"We are ensuring everything is synchronised between the MBG governance targets and the APBD planning cycle, its nomenclature, account codes, and so forth," he said.
Bima made these remarks at a coordination meeting in Surabaya on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The meeting was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Head of the National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and the East Java Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda).
On Friday, 13 February 2026, President Prabowo Subianto said the MBG programme in its first year had reached 60 million beneficiaries across Indonesia.
The Gerindra Party chairman said the number of MBG beneficiaries was equivalent to feeding the entire population of South Africa every day. "Or the equivalent of 10 times Singapore, or twice Malaysia," he said.
Prabowo said he would continue to implement the programme, expressing confidence that the government was on the right path. "We want to save children and they say we're being insulting," Prabowo said.