The deputy minister made the statement after reviewing the implementation of the priority program of President Prabowo Subianto's administration at Lengkong Gudang Public Elementary School, South Tangerang, Banten, on Monday.
"These pupils are thrilled with this program. Mr. President hopes that this program will create a foundation for us all to improve the quality of our human resources through improvements in nutritional intake," he remarked.
Pasaribu then highlighted that the government has been striving to ensure that all meals provided under the program contain balanced nutritional content and meet the beneficiaries' actual nutritional requirements.
In addition to the nutritional benefits, he assessed that the meals program could serve as a platform for character education among pupils.
"In my view, the Free Nutritious Meals program does not solely revolve around the provision of nutritious meals, as it leads students to interact with each other in its implementation. This initiative can help shape the character of our future talents," he affirmed.
Related news: Deputy minister distributes free meals to pupils in South Tangerang
The deputy minister then drew attention to the economic sector, noting that the implementation of the program entails the empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), allowing them to reap benefits from providing or processing the required food materials and ingredients.
On that note, he stated that despite its primary focus on providing food to schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers, the program has far-reaching positive implications.
"This is essentially a grand program that aims to build the character and nutritional intake of young talents while offering benefits to MSMEs," he concluded.
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Translator: Livia K, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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