Prabowo Wants to Continue MBG Until Completion, Boosting the Economy

CILACAP, KOMPAS.com - President Prabowo Subianto stated that the government will continue implementing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme until completion. Prabowo said the MBG programme has already successfully reached 60 million beneficiaries, distributed five times a week. “Our brothers and sisters have already produced MBG for tens of millions, and we will continue until finished,” Prabowo said at the Groundbreaking of 13 Downstream Projects Phase II in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday (29/4/2026). Nevertheless, the government is committed to making improvements. According to him, the MBG programme has proven to provide benefits, including a multiplier effect that boosts the economy in grassroots markets. The presence of MBG has enabled agricultural products, which were previously often unsold in the market leading to losses for farmers, to now be purchased by the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) or MBG Kitchens. He explained that one MBG kitchen employs at least 50 people. If the number of MBG kitchens reaches 30,000 units, the number of workers absorbed will reach 1.5 million people. In addition, there are 81,000 Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives (Kopdes) that are still being built gradually. “You calculate it yourselves, over 1 million something. So, brothers and sisters, not yet including our other programmes, people’s housing,” Prabowo emphasised. The Gerindra Party chairman said that currently, many countries are even coming to Indonesia to study MBG. He asked which country could provide meals for 60 million people five times a week. “Perhaps China, but we know China has already taken off ahead of us,” Prabowo said.