MBG Reaches 1.5 Million Recipients, Government Ready to Expand Coverage

Jakarta, The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) has had a positive impact on more than 1.5 million beneficiaries throughout Indonesia. This program, which aims to improve community welfare through direct assistance and economic empowerment, has shown significant results since its launch last year.
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said that the number of beneficiaries of the MBG program continues to increase and has almost reached 1.5 million people as of today (Wednesday, February 19, 2025). This figure is spread across almost all provinces in Indonesia.
“As of today, it has reached 1.47 million beneficiaries in 570 SPPG (nutrition fulfillment service units) in 37 provinces,” he said.
Initially, the government targeted 17.5 million beneficiaries by the end of 2025. However, after seeing the positive response from the community, President Prabowo Subianto asked for the target to be increased.
The MBG program includes various forms of assistance, such as food subsidies, small business capital assistance, and skills training for people who want to improve their standard of living. According to data from the Ministry of Social Affairs, as many as 600 thousand micro businesses have received business capital from this program, while more than 400 thousand individuals have participated in training and skills development programs.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Center for Regional Studies and Information (Pattiro), Fitria Muslih said the MBG program is positioned as an investment to achieve the ideals of Golden Indonesia. The government is also collaborating with various parties, including the business world and social institutions, to ensure the effectiveness of this program.
“The government needs to position this MBG as an investment to achieve Golden Indonesia. In the future, the government plans to expand the scope of MBG so that more people can feel the benefits,” he said.
Furthermore, the Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia, Medelina K. Hendytio said that MBG is not a centralized program. As a country with a large geographical condition, Indonesian government programs will be carried out in a participatory manner by involving public participation.
“MBG handling will utilize existing institutions or agencies, both at the center and in the regions, such as Community Health Centers and then down to the sub-district level, to increase public participation in its implementation,” he said. With this achievement, MBG has further proven its role as a program that not only provides direct assistance, but also opens up opportunities for the community to achieve better welfare. The government hopes that this initiative can continue and become a model for other social programs in the future.