MBG Program Drives Regional Economy

By: Rani Setiawan

The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program launched in early 2025 has increasingly shown a positive impact on the economy at the village and sub-district levels. Since its launch on January 6, 2025, this program has influenced the flow of money at the most basic level, providing opportunities for the local economy to develop. When many parties highlight the importance of village-based economic empowerment, this program is a real step that is expected to drive the wheels of the economy more evenly across the region.

The Head of the Gerindra Party DPD for Jambi Province, Sutan Adil Hendra, who is also known as an economist, expressed optimism regarding the great potential of MBG in increasing economic growth in more remote areas. He considered that with the circulation of funds at the village and sub-district levels, the wheels of the economy would move more dynamically. The money flowing at the local level is believed to be able to accelerate economic equality across the region.

This doctor of economics also said that the circulation of money in the village can open up opportunities for people to be more active in economic activities, such as buying raw materials for small businesses or improving their business facilities. This will of course improve the standard of living of village communities who have so far been more limited by economic access. It is hoped that with the MBG program, the potential in the villages will be more optimal, and economic growth can be felt directly by the community at the grassroots level.

The Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, stated that the MBG program is part of the 6th Asta Cita which focuses on development from the village. According to him, to support the success of MBG, cooperation is needed with various parties, especially stakeholders at the national and regional levels. In his view, Indonesia has more than 75 thousand villages that must be empowered, so collaboration between the central government, regions, and various related agencies is very necessary.

Yandri also emphasized the importance of using village funds that have been provided by the government, which reaches IDR 71 trillion. The use of funds that are right on target will support the implementation of MBG in more villages, providing direct benefits to people in need. For this reason, the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration also invited related ministries to ensure that the funds can be used efficiently and that their impact can be felt by all levels of society, especially those in isolated areas.

This program has also received a positive response from the health sector, as seen in the collaboration between the South Sulawesi Provincial Government and Hasanuddin University (Unhas). The Acting Governor of South Sulawesi, Fadjry Djufry, fully supports the movement towards Zero Stunting which is in line with the goal of the MBG program to provide better nutritional intake for the community. According to Fadjry, the development of a data-based and scientific stunting measurement model will greatly assist in reducing stunting rates in the area, which will have an impact on the quality of human resources in the future.

In this case, the MBG program which provides nutritious food to the community is expected to contribute to reducing stunting rates, by providing nutritious and affordable food for families in the area. The data-based and cultural approach offered by Unhas in this program provides a strong basis for measuring the success of the program in the long term.

MBG illustrates a strong understanding of the importance of collaboration between the government, educational institutions, and the community in driving the regional economy. From Sutan Adil Hendra’s perspective, it is clear that he sees great potential in the MBG program as a driving force for the local economy. The economic growth promised by this program is not only seen in numbers, but also in the quality of life of the community who feel the direct benefits of every policy issued.

Yandri Susanto’s statement also underlined the importance of careful management of village funds to ensure that every village can feel the benefits of the MBG program. In his view, partnerships between various parties are key so that the available village funds do not only reach numbers but can also be translated into targeted programs, such as MBG. The success of this program will depend greatly on how stakeholders at the central and regional levels work together to ensure equitable distribution.