Malang, Jawa Timur (ANTARA) - The Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN) and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) have asked all regional governments to build a raw material supply chain ecosystem to ensure the success of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.
Minister of PPN/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Rachmat Pambudy said here on Sunday that the certainty of the supply chain ecosystem is a significant point in facilitating the implementation of MBG from upstream to downstream.
"We must ensure the plan is implemented and effectively received. The supply chain from the MBG kitchen (Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit/SPPG) to the beneficiaries must be integrated into the MBG implementation," Pambudy said.
He hopes the MBG program can be distributed evenly across all regions. Therefore, the Ministry of PPN/Bappenas, along with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), will continue to monitor the process.
"We mutually review, observe, and ensure that this program, from Aceh to Papua, from the central to the outermost locations, can be implemented properly," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of BGN Sony Sanjaya said the scope of the MBG program does not only cover operations (SPPG) but also efforts to make it easier for SPPG to obtain quality raw materials to be processed into MBG menus.
The context of fulfilling raw materials should not be partial but comprehensive in every region in detail.
Therefore, this supply chain ecosystem needs to be a concern for all regional heads throughout Indonesia, including the Mayor of Malang.
"Currently, we can meet the supply requirement because there are only 25 SPPGs in Malang. When the number reaches 83, how will we be able to meet the demand for food supplies like kale, bok choy, and fish? This should be taken into consideration," Sanjaya said.
He said that efforts to make MBG a success need to be accompanied by new approaches, including through "MBG Preneur" -- an entrepreneurial approach in managing nutritious food based on regional independence -- as has been implemented in Malang City.
Sanjaya believes that this concept can make SPPG think about strategies to expand access to raw materials.
"So, it's not just about thinking about the kitchen," he said.
