Vice President Invites Students to See Firsthand Benefits of Free Meals in Underdeveloped Regions

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming stated that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme is highly beneficial for underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions and invited student representatives to see its benefits firsthand. Speaking after inspecting Wolomoni State Primary School in Niawula Village, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday, the Vice President said the school holiday period is an opportune moment to improve MBG management. “I have conveyed to the teachers and parents that MBG is highly anticipated and very beneficial, especially in 3T areas,” said the Vice President. He highlighted that schools like Wolomoni need MBG to ensure the nutritional needs of children and other vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and toddlers, are met. He therefore encouraged the Nutritional Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) to promptly serve the school. On this occasion, the Vice President also invited five university students from different higher education institutions to see the reality on the ground regarding the need for MBG. “Previously, students who demonstrated told me they disagreed and that it should be stopped. But, once again, personally, this must be continued, especially in 3T areas,” he explained. Acknowledging that much still needs to be improved in the implementation of MBG, he assured that governance improvements would also include preventing inappropriate procurement and various other corrupt practices. Rapid Bena Main from Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, one of the five students invited by the Vice President, said he had seen firsthand the need for MBG in 3T regions. “I agree with my colleagues that the President’s priority programmes, such as Free Nutritious Meals for children as stunting prevention and also for equitable economic distribution through the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP), must be prioritised and emphasised in 3T areas,” he explained. Rapid said this is necessary to close the gaps that exist in several regions. Responding to this, the Vice President also underlined that a number of government development programmes are carried out to ensure equitable distribution throughout Indonesia, not just on Java Island. “So now, development is no longer Java-centric but Indonesia-centric,” concluded Gibran Rakabuming.