State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated that President Lula’s visit to observe the MBG program will depend on the situation and conditions on the following day.
“Tomorrow. It is planned (to review the MBG), but we’ll see tomorrow,” Hadi told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.
President Lula arrived in Jakarta earlier under heavy rain at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, where he was welcomed with an honor guard ceremony. Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman personally escorted the Brazilian leader to his official vehicle, adorned with both Indonesian and Brazilian flags.
Accompanied by a motorcade of cars and motorcycles, President Lula departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base and headed to the hotel where he would be staying.
His visit comes at the invitation of President Prabowo, who extended the offer during their bilateral meeting in Brasília last July.
President Prabowo invited President Lula to visit Indonesia in October, coinciding with the celebration of the Brazilian leader’s 80th birthday in Jakarta.
President Prabowo noted that he and President Lula share close birth dates in October and mentioned that a special celebration would be prepared to honor President Lula.
Lula was born on October 27, 1945, while Prabowo was born on October 17, 1951.
“I am very much looking forward to President Lula’s visit to Indonesia this October, as we almost share the same birthday in October, and I would like to celebrate President Lula’s birthday here in Indonesia,” said Prabowo.
The MBG program has reached more than 36.7 million beneficiaries in its first year, the government said on Tuesday.
Launched on January 6, 2025, under the Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration, the program targets students from early childhood to high school, as well as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) said 12,528 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG)—kitchens that produce the meals—are now operating across the country. The units are key to ensuring access to nutritious food and raising public nutrition standards.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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