School Canteen Involvement Still Under Review, Minister: It Has Been Decided That Not All Students Will Receive MBG

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti has said that the policy scenario regarding the involvement of school canteens in the distribution of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme is still being drafted. Mu’ti stated that the matter is still under review with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). “So there is no decision yet on how canteens and other services will be involved. For the MBG programme to run well, everything must undergo in-depth study,” Abdul Mu’ti said in Yogyakarta on Sunday (5/7/2026). According to him, what has been decided in the ministerial-level meeting concerns the target recipients of the MBG programme. He said the MBG will not be given to all students, but only to those in need. “What has been decided in the ministerial-level meeting is that the MBG recipients will not be all students, but only those who require it,” he said. However, he said the implementation mechanism is still being formulated to ensure it runs optimally. “We are currently drafting the mechanism so that this policy can be implemented properly,” he said. Abdul Mu’ti explained that the distribution policy for MBG falls under the authority of the BGN. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, he said, only provides input regarding its implementation to ensure the programme’s goals, as envisioned by President Prabowo Subianto, are achieved. “The spirit of MBG, as intended by the President, is to build a physically healthy generation free from stunting,” he said. He assessed that the distribution of MBG benefits would be more targeted if prioritised for students who genuinely need it. “So it is more appropriate that those who are most entitled to receive it are the ones who are served,” he said.