In a statement received here on Saturday, she emphasized that these areas should be the focus, as many cases of malnutrition and stunting are found there.
She spoke of having reviewed the MBG program's implementation at several schools in the cities of Bandung and Cimahi in West Java. During these visits, she observed that the needs related to the program were not uniform.
She noted that several schools have a majority of the students from underprivileged families, who struggle to afford breakfast or bring lunch from home.
According to Amaliah, these schools should be the top priority for the free meals program.
Meanwhile, she pointed out that some schools have mostly students from financially stable families, who do not urgently require free meals.
Amaliah emphasized that prioritizing the implementation of MBG is necessary due to the program's limited budget.
"Since this program's implementation requires significant funds and currently cannot even cover all schools in Indonesia, clearer data collection is needed," Amaliah emphasized.
She also highlighted the importance of distributing the correct number of meal packages to match the number of students present each day, to ensure efficiency.
Furthermore, she stressed the need for good management of food waste from the program to avoid the emergence of new problems.
Launched on January 6, 2025, the MBG program is one of the main programs initiated by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka for their 2024–2029 term.
Through the program, the government aims to improve the nutritional status of children under five, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and schoolchildren up to the high school level.
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Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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