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The Indonesian Express
business
Dok/Kemenperin
Wamenperin: Free Nutritious Food Helps Boost Small And Medium Industries
Saturday, 18 Jan 2025
The Deputy Minister of Industry, Faisol Riza, visited several educational institutions in East Jakarta on Thursday morning, January 16, to review the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG). The schools he visited included PAUD Baiturrahim, SD Negeri 06 Pulogebang, SD Negeri 07 Pulogebang, and SMP Negeri 138 Jakarta. During his visit, Faisol mentioned that the MBG is a government initiative that supports industrial growth, particularly in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). He noted that the program impacts various industrial sectors. "The Free Nutritious Meal Program has the potential to engage different subsectors, including food and beverage industries, small and medium enterprises, and the logistics sector that delivers MBG to schools," said the Deputy Minister. He also expressed hope that any leftover food could be processed by waste management industries. Faisol also expressed a desire for the MBG program to involve more manufacturing industry players who can contribute quality products. He stated that this initiative, led by President Prabowo Subianto, aligns with the Domestic Product Utilization Improvement Program (P3DN) by utilizing local resources and commodities. Overall, Faisol noted that the MBG program is running well. Students, teachers, and school principals expressed their hope for the continuation of this nutrition improvement program. "This food provides much better nutritional support than before. If some children have meals prepared by their parents at home, this program adds even more nutrition at school," he explained. Faisol hopes that the MBG program will not only meet the nutritional needs of students but also help create a competitive, resilient, and superior future generation. We also thank all the local departments, district heads, school principals, teachers, and everyone who supported this activity, he added. Gita Nanda, a teacher at Baiturrahim Early Childhood Education, praised the MBG Program introduced during President Prabowo Subianto's administration. She noted that the program has received positive feedback from students and their parents. "Now, parents don’t need to prepare breakfast for their children before school because it’s provided at school. The kids enjoy the varied menus that change every day," Gita said. Paranggi Rismono, the principal of SD Negeri 06 Pulogadung, shared similar sentiments. Since the MBG Program started on January 6, 2025, he has noticed many parents are happy because they can save money. "In the past, when kids brought food from home, a lot of it would go uneaten. Parents had to give extra snacks. But now, with MBG, they can reduce the snack money. Especially since our students come from lower-middle-class families," Paranggi explained. The MBG Program is one of President Prabowo's flagship initiatives aimed at improving the health and nutrition of Indonesian children. It also reflects the government's commitment to enhancing the quality of human resources in Indonesia.
