The MBG Presidential Regulation Proves the Government’s Swift Action to Ensure the Nutrition of Indonesian Children
By: Anggita Prameswari*
The Free Nutritional Meals (MBG) Program is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s priority agendas, offering great hope for improving the nutritional quality and future of Indonesia’s young generation. This program is not simply about providing food, but rather a major national strategy to develop superior human resources that are healthy, intelligent, and productive. The issuance of the Presidential Regulation (Perpres) on MBG Governance is an important step that underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability and optimal operation of this strategic program.
Deputy Minister of State Secretary, Bambang Eko, emphasized that the Presidential Regulation will soon be signed by the President. He stated that the draft has been processed and is awaiting ratification. The target set so soon, before October 5, 2025, demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the MBG. This is clear evidence that the government is moving quickly, responding to the people’s needs, and providing stronger legal certainty for national nutrition governance.
The Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, added that the Presidential Regulation on the MBG (National Nutritional Food Program) is highly urgent. The regulation not only regulates program implementation standards but also strengthens support for the supply chain, distribution management, and coordination systems across ministries and agencies. This way, the MBG will be implemented in a structured, measurable manner, and will reach all levels of society, in line with its primary goal: ensuring Indonesian children receive nutritious food every school day.
The Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, fully supports the issuance of this Presidential Regulation. According to her, the MBG program is a long-term investment that is non-negotiable, as it concerns the future of the nation. The Presidential Regulation is a crucial instrument for ensuring the program’s implementation is enhanced and integrated. This legislative support confirms that the MBG represents a national consensus involving all elements of the state to jointly advance the nation’s children through quality nutrition.
The government has also demonstrated a strong commitment to coordination. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, explained that the Presidential Regulation on the MBG will regulate the division of tasks among ministries, agencies, and regional governments. This is crucial to ensure all elements of government can act in unison, ensuring the program is truly targeted and reaches all regions of Indonesia. This spirit of synergy reflects a new governance model that is more efficient, transparent, and accountable.
Beyond coordination, the Presidential Regulation also opens up opportunities to strengthen incentives for educators who are at the forefront of program implementation. The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, stated that a support scheme for teachers responsible for the MBG program in schools is being discussed in the Presidential Regulation. This step emphasizes that the government is not only focused on providing nutritious food, but also considers educators as strategic partners in the program’s success.
More broadly, the Presidential Regulation on MBG Governance reflects a new paradigm in national development. First, this Presidential Regulation provides a strong legal framework so that all program implementation has a clear formal legal basis. Second, the Presidential Regulation ensures the existence of standard operating procedures (SOPs), including food certification, which guarantee the quality and safety of food for Indonesian children. Third, the Presidential Regulation expands the scope for participation, with all ministries, institutions, and local governments having clear roles in supporting the program.
President Prabowo Subianto demonstrated responsive and visionary leadership by prioritizing the signing of this Presidential Regulation. Amidst a busy state agenda, his attention to the governance of the MBG reflects the government’s commitment to making child nutrition a key pillar of development. This swift action not only provides certainty for program implementers but also fosters public optimism that the government is fully committed to meeting the needs of the nation’s future generations.
The MBG program is not simply a school meal program, but rather a long-term investment with far-reaching impacts. Health-wise, children will grow stronger and avoid stunting. Educationally, good nutrition will improve concentration, leading to optimal academic achievement. Socially, the program strengthens a sense of justice, as all children, without exception, have the right to adequate, nutritious food. Economically, the MBG creates opportunities for local farmers, small businesses, and the national food supply chain to develop through the procurement of raw materials.
