Zulhas Requests One Month to Resolve Free Nutritious Meal Programme Issues After Meeting with Prabowo

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan and several ministers held a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto regarding the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Zulhas and the relevant ministries and agencies requested one month to resolve issues in the implementation of MBG. “Earlier, regarding MBG, we will resolve the issues that have so far been obstacles or misuses. We asked for one, one month. Yes, one more month. One month to resolve, to tidy up,” Zulhas told reporters at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday (15/7/2026). After one month, Zulhas said the solutions to the problems in MBG would be studied more deeply. He will report back to Prabowo to request a final decision. “After that, we will report the next steps to the President for a decision to be made, to be given direction on what the final decision will be. But we will conduct a more in-depth study one month from today. I think those two are the important things we decided on this evening,” he said. Zulhas detailed a number of issues in the programme’s implementation that are being evaluated. These range from alleged misuse to locations that should have received services but are not yet supported by the presence of Nutritional Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). “Many, yes. Misuse, then points that are already eligible to receive, then so many points have been determined but, but there is no SPPG yet,” he said. In addition, he mentioned there are locations that already have buildings but cannot yet operate as planned. According to him, the government is still taking stock of these various issues before determining the next steps. “There are those that have been built but are not yet operational, many, many things, yes. In this one month, we will present it to the President so that the right decision can be made on what it should be,” he continued. Another matter discussed in the meeting was the Red and White Village Cooperative (KDMP). Zulhas reiterated that the village cooperative serves as government infrastructure for distributing aid and subsidised goods. “The Red and White Village Cooperative as government infrastructure will later distribute aid, all aid. Then also distribute all subsidised goods,” he said. Furthermore, Zulhas said the cooperative acts as an off-taker for farmers’ produce. The cooperative will purchase agricultural products at prices set by the government. “Number two, it acts as an off-taker. If the price of, say, unhusked rice, maize, and others falls below the price set by the government, then the cooperative can act as an off-taker, as a buyer of agricultural products whose prices have been determined by the government,” he stated.