"Around 600 thousand people have been empowered as workers for the MBG program, and this figure excludes farmers," he told the press in Jakarta on Thursday.
The BGN chief pointed out that MBG kitchens, officially known as nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPGs), have played a significant role in this achievement, employing about 300 thousand workers as of September 2025.
"Note that this number excludes suppliers, and each SPPG requires at least 15 suppliers. Moreover, one supplier usually employs five to 15 people. Hence, all things considered, we can say that the MBG program has absorbed about 600 thousand workers," Hindayana elaborated.
He went on to say that the ecosystem and supply chains sustaining the national priority program continue to expand, considering that the state has allocated substantial funding to ensure at least 82.9 million citizens receive free nutritious meals this year.
"The 'organization' is growing larger and larger. Given the huge budget earmarked, it is reasonable for this program to demand more resources," he affirmed.
The official highlighted that, as outlined in the 2026 Draft State Budget, the state intends to mobilize at least Rp268 trillion (US$16.1 billion) to support the program, which targets nutritional improvements for schoolchildren, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
"A budget of Rp268 trillion has been prepared for 2026, supplemented by Rp67 trillion in reserve funds. Thus, next year's budget allocation amounts to Rp335 trillion (over US$20 billion) in total," he explained.
He further stressed that the MBG program offers benefits beyond employment absorption, citing its potential to boost local economies through the involvement of Red and White Village Cooperatives, village-run enterprises, local businesses, and farmers in the food distribution chain.
On that note, he encouraged Indonesian youth to dare to make a living in rural areas by capitalizing on idle land to produce ingredients needed for the MBG program.
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Translator: Lintang B, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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