Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Nanik Sudaryati Deyang emphasized that her office does not force students to collect the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) during school holidays.
“Children are not forced to come to school. It is fine if the MBG is collected by their mother, father, or relatives. If the school does not want to receive it, or parents do not want it, that is also fine and not forced. There is no coercion for children to come to school during holidays to take MBG,” Deyang said when confirmed here on Tuesday.
BGN acknowledged that improving students’ nutrition requires consistency, but it also understands that schoolchildren are currently on holiday. Therefore, the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) or MBG kitchens offer beneficiary schools the option to apply if they wish to continue receiving MBG.
“The MBG meals will be delivered by the SPPG according to the school’s request, in the form of dry food,” she said.
Deyang also refuted allegations from some parties claiming that the distribution of MBG during holidays is meant to exhaust the budget.
“On the contrary, we are saving the budget. In 2025 alone, the MBG budget is Rp71 trillion, initially targeting six million beneficiaries. However, we have been able to benefit 50 million Indonesian children, toddler, breastfeeding mothers, and pregnant women,” she explained.
She said the savings were possible because many foundations and partners were willing to build MBG kitchens independently, reducing the need for BGN to construct kitchens.
“As a result, BGN’s expenditure is only for the MBG program at Rp15,000 per meal, employee salaries including SPPG heads, nutritionists, and accountants—nearly 100,000 personnel nationwide—and operational costs,” she explained.
She stressed that the government continues to work hard to improve children’s nutrition in line with President Prabowo’s directive that no Indonesian child should miss out on MBG.
