Minister Rachmat Discusses Strengthening Healthy Meals Program with Chief Expert Planners

Jakarta - Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy held a meeting with Chief Expert Planners (PAU) to discuss the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG), a key priority of President Prabowo to enhance human resource quality and the well-being of Indonesian society. Minister Rachmat emphasized the importance of strict oversight for the program.

“We expect the PAU to be directly involved in monitoring this program and demonstrating Bappenas’ tangible contributions in ensuring the success of the Free Nutritious Meals Program,” Minister Rachmat Pambudy stated on Tuesday (12/17).

MBG aims to improve nutritional status, particularly for pregnant women and children, which significantly impacts health and education outcomes. Minister Rachmat underscored that the greatest challenge in implementing MBG lies in ensuring the program runs as planned. Previous similar programs have shown MBG's potential to enhance health levels, nutritional quality, and school attendance. Additional positive effects include increased community resilience and better educational sustainability.

PAU provided valuable input on expanding MBG's impact, including conducting more comprehensive studies on the program’s effects on nutrition, economics, education, and poverty. They also highlighted the importance of ensuring domestic raw material availability to support the program's smooth implementation. MBG has the potential to become a National Strategic Program (PSN), the first of its kind outside the infrastructure domain, and PAU expressed unanimous support to optimize its benefits for societal well-being.

Minister Rachmat appreciated PAU's input and committed to overseeing the program's implementation to achieve its objectives of improving societal welfare.

“This program not only contributes to improving nutrition but also supports poverty reduction, job creation, and efforts towards food and energy self-sufficiency. Strict oversight is crucial to ensure the program is well-targeted and effectively executed. Any errors that occur will be addressed directly by the President,” concluded the Minister.