BGN Head Dadan Hindayana confirmed this plan in a statement cited here on Sunday amid a discourse on reducing weekly MBG distribution to five times for students in pursuit of budget efficiency.
"MBG will be supplied across six school days, from Monday to Saturday, in 3T regions and those deemed highly vulnerable to stunting. This move is a strategic step toward ensuring that children receive adequate nutrition daily," he said.
With that in view, he emphasized the importance of compiling accurate data on regions requiring the special approach. BGN intends to primarily refer to the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey 2024 by the Ministry of Health to determine priority regions.
"Our team will work together with local offices of education and health to ensure data accuracy so that MBG reaches those in need," Hindayana said, noting that the agency aims to focus on regions in Sumatra and eastern Indonesia.
He further elaborated that the data collection will cover the numbers of schools and students, along with stunting prevalence rates in each region.
"Data integrity is of the essence because the MBG program is oriented toward public health and the future of our youngsters. We cannot afford to leave any child behind in this agenda," he affirmed.
Earlier, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa pointed out that Indonesia could save more than US$2.3 billion annually through efficiency measures for the MBG program, proposed as part of the government’s deliberations to shield the nation from economic pressures stemming from souring geopolitics.
"BGN has proposed reducing MBG distribution to five days from the usual six per week to generate significant savings," he said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The BGN chief confirmed the proposal on Friday, underscoring that MBG distribution for students would be adjusted to school schedules.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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