Head of the Presidential Communication Office Hasan Nasbi noted that so far, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), responsible for this initiative, has appointed one thousand SPPG heads, all of whom have received education and training at the Indonesia Defense University.
Later, they will be placed in kitchens that are ready to operate, he noted.
In managing the kitchen, the SPPG head works with a nutritionist and an accountant to ensure smooth food distribution while strictly supervising the quality and nutritional standards of food distributed to every beneficiary.
“BGN plans to prepare five thousand SPPG to lead the free nutritious meals kitchens. Throughout 2025, the target for the program is to have five thousand kitchens,” Nasbi told reporters on Monday (Jan 6).
BGN officially rolled out the free nutritious meals program on Monday as part of its efforts to improve the community's nutrition. In January, the program's primary focus is students.
Nasbi stated that 190 SPPG kitchens are currently operational.
These kitchens are spread across 26 provinces, including Aceh, Bali, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau Islands, Riau, Lampung, Banten, West Java, Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, and Gorontalo.
The kitchens are also located in West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Maluku, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Papua, and South Papua.
The free meals program, which is a part of the Asta Cita or eight main programs launched by the Prabowo-Gibran government, aims to improve Indonesia's future generations by fulfilling the nutritional needs of pregnant women, toddlers, schoolchildren, and those at risk of stunting.
The government has prepared a budget of Rp71 trillion (nearly US$4.4 billion) for the program.
Related news: Free meals menu must prioritize local ingredients: KTNA
Related news: Most students finish vegetables with adjusted flavors in MBG: PCO
Related news: Minister expects MBG program to help produce quality athletes
Translator: Genta Tenri Mawangi, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
