Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has so far reached 29.8 million beneficiaries with a total of 8,018 Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs) or MBG kitchens operating, according to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).

"Currently, there are 9,230 SPPGs that have been verified: 8,018 are already operational, and 1,212 are in preparation to operate. The number of beneficiaries is recorded at 29,884,459 people," BGN Deputy Head Sony Sanjaya said in Cibubur, West Java, on Thursday.

He explained that there are 32,407 registrants of MBG partners that will supply food for the program, among others. Of the total, 13,506 have been verified and are currently in the preparation process.

He noted that the verification of the partners is carried out transparently without conflict of interest.

The verifiers are required to check the locations, ownership certificates, and carry out a field survey to ensure the cleanliness and readiness of the kitchens.

Sanjaya emphasized that the SPPG verification process is strict and has 10 stages, from registration to virtual bank account creation for the fund disbursement.

He further said that the fund disbursement is also strict because it requires a proposal from the partners and approval from the head of the SPPG.

The MBG program was launched on January 6, 2025, as one of the main initiatives of 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, breastfeeding mothers, and schoolchildren up to the high school level.

The program is targeted to reach 82.9 million beneficiaries across Indonesia, making it one of the largest programs implemented in the country.

Related news: BGN covers all medical costs due to free meals food poisoning

Related news: BGN requires certified chefs to curb MBG food poisoning cases

Related news: Three children recover after free meal incident in Jakarta: BGN

Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025