Karangasem, Bali (ANTARA) - The government envisions the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program as a foundation for creating a generation of talents capable of leading Indonesia to its golden era, a National Nutrition Agency (BGN) official stated. "This program is expected to support Golden Indonesia 2045 by nurturing a healthy, smart, and strong generation," Director of Nutritional Promotion and Education at the BGN Gunalan remarked during an event promoting the MBG program in Karangasem District, Bali, on Sunday.
He emphasized that the free meals program is also designed to address various pressing issues nationwide, such as poverty, economic inequality, unemployment, and weaknesses in human resources.
According to him, improving people's nutritional intake through the program will directly enhance children's learning capacity, which in turn will improve the quality of human resources.
At the event, Tutik Kusuma Wardhani, member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR), highlighted that her side fully supports the MBG program to reduce childhood stunting, a form of chronic malnutrition that hinders children's growth and development.
Baca juga: BGN gencarkan sosialisasi program makan bergizi gratis di Lombok Barat
She expressed confidence that the program would be a crucial pillar for producing healthy, productive, and competitive young talents in the future.
The BGN, in collaboration with other institutions including the DPR, has been working to implement and promote the MBG program since its launch in early January this year.
Baca juga: BGN dan DPR sosialisasi makan bergizi gratis di kaki Gunung Rinjani Lombok
Through 1,386 special kitchens—officially known as Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units—the program had reached nearly four million beneficiaries as of May 21, 2025. These include schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers across 38 provinces.
President Prabowo Subianto has set a target for the program to cater to the nutritional needs of 82.9 million people nationwide.
