In his remarks at the great harvest event and the announcement of national food self-sufficiency in Karawang, West Java, which was monitored via a live broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday, the President said the MBG program has currently reached 55 million beneficiaries.
The achievement was made within just one year. Meanwhile, the government has set a target of 82.9 million beneficiaries, consisting of schoolchildren, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly.
“Our target is that by December 2026, all villages will receive MBG. Hopefully, it can be achieved sooner, but by December we must reach all Indonesian children, all pregnant mothers, and all elderly people as well,” the President said.
The President apologized to Indonesians who have not yet benefited from the MBG program. However, he assured that all villages would soon receive the program as planned.
“Earlier, when I arrived, many people shouted, ‘Sir, our village has not yet received MBG.’ However, God willing, all villages in Indonesia will receive MBG in 2026,” he added.
Previously, President Prabowo stated that the number of MBG beneficiaries had reached 55 million people as of January 5, 2026, or one year since the program was first launched on January 6, 2025.
The President described the achievement as a significant accomplishment, noting that Brazil took up to 11 years to distribute free lunches to 40 million schoolchildren.
On the same occasion, the President again shared the appreciation expressed by various parties for Indonesia’s MBG program, including from the Rockefeller Institute.
The experts conveyed to the President that funds invested in the MBG program could generate an economic multiplier effect of up to five to 35 times.
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Translator: Maria, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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