Indonesia Prabowo Free Meals Recipients Target
Indonesia Accelerates enterprising Free Nutritious Meals Program: Targeting 20 Million Beneficiaries by August 2025
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Jakarta, ANTARA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set an aggressive new timeline for the nation’s Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, aiming to expand its reach to 20 million beneficiaries by August 17, 2025, ahead of Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day.This ambitious goal signifies a meaningful acceleration of the program’s rollout,demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the nutritional well-being of the Indonesian populace.
Program Expansion and Accelerated Timeline
During a recent address at the National Awakening Party (PKB) anniversary party in Jakarta, President Prabowo revealed the updated targets for the MBG program.He shared that a recent report indicated 6.7 million individuals have already benefited from the initiative.
“The original plan was to reach 20 million beneficiaries by the end of August,” President Prabowo stated. “But I asked, how can we accelerate this? They reported to me, and it turns out we might be able to speed things up.”
This proactive approach to expedite the program’s implementation underscores the government’s dedication to delivering tangible benefits to its citizens in a timely manner.
Ensuring Quality Amidst Rapid Growth
While emphasizing the urgency of expansion, President Prabowo also stressed the paramount importance of maintaining the quality of the meals provided. He highlighted the necessity of adequate training for kitchen coordinators, administrative staff, and financial personnel to ensure the program’s proper and effective implementation.
“Quality must not be compromised,” he asserted. “Kitchen coordinators, along with administrative and financial staff, need adequate training to ensure proper implementation. And that takes time.”
Despite these considerations, the team managing the MBG program remains optimistic about meeting the accelerated target.
Future Projections and Global Recognition
The President further shared projections for the program’s future growth, expressing hope that by December of the current year, the MBG initiative could reach an astounding 82.9 million beneficiaries.
“They reported to me, ‘Sir, this can be accelerated. There’s a strong possibility we can reach the 20 million mark, god willing, before August 17.’ After that, the numbers will keep rising. We pray and hope that by December this year, the program will reach 82.9 million beneficiaries,” he elaborated.
The success and ambition of Indonesia’s free meals initiative have not gone unnoticed on the international stage. President Prabowo noted significant interest from global leaders,with several expressing a desire to send delegations to learn from Indonesia’s experience.
“When I traveled abroad, many leaders asked me about it, and several even wanted to send delegations to learn how we’re achieving this,” he said.
Benchmarking Against Global Successes
Drawing a comparison with international efforts, President Prabowo referenced Brazil’s long-standing free school lunch program, the Programa Nacional de alimentação Escolar (PNAE). He mentioned a conversation with a former president of Brazil who noted their program reached 40 million children over an 11-year period.
“I was told by a former president of Brazil that their program reached 40 million children - but it took them 11 years,” he stated,referring to ex-president Dilma Vana Rousseff.
President Prabowo highlighted Indonesia’s distinctive approach, characterized by a willingness to take risks and a persistent spirit, often referred to by the term “bonek” (brave and determined).
“Indonesia now has many risk-takers – or bonek. Other countries needed 11 years; we’re going for it in one.We aim to deliver benefits to 82.9 million people in a single year – but of course, we must prove it,” he concluded.
brazil’s PNAE, operational since 1955, currently provides nutritious meals to 40 million students across 155,000 public schools, with a significant budget allocated for its operations. Indonesia’s rapid scaling of its MBG program positions it as a possibly groundbreaking model for national nutrition initiatives worldwide.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Anton Santoso
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