Prabowo: The Free Nutritious Meal Programme Has Many Problems, We Must Address Them

President Prabowo Subianto admitted that the implementation of the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) has many problems, and therefore needs to be addressed.

This was conveyed by Prabowo during the inauguration of the operationalisation of 1,601 Merah Putih Cooperatives in Nganjuk, East Java, on Saturday (16/5).

Prabowo initially stated that the MBG programme and the Merah Putih Cooperatives would boost the economy. According to him, village heads and regents have already felt the positive impact of the programme. However, Prabowo acknowledged that the implementation of the MBG still has many problems.

“Yes, there are many problems, yes, there are many challenges, the MBG has many problems, we must address them,” said Prabowo, as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

Prabowo said that many leaders in Indonesia lack integrity when dealing with money.

He affirmed that he would not hesitate to remove officials who abuse their authority.

“Many of our leaders, their hearts are not strong, their integrity is not strong, their faith is not strong, when dealing with money they forget, but I have said that my government will not hesitate, whoever violates, deviates, abuses their authority, we will address them, we will clean them up, we will remove them from their positions,” he said.

Prabowo said that the MBG programme is very important for the community. He said he met with people who were grateful for the programme.

“I met with ordinary people, farmers, ‘Sir, please don’t stop the MBG, it really helps my grandchildren eat, it really helps me, it really helps my family’,” said Prabowo, imitating his conversation with the community.

“So MBG is very important, but now we are supporting it with the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, we will support it soon with fishing villages, and at the end of it all, downstream and industrialisation, so all of this will support industrialisation,” he added.