Nutritious Meals Available For Free Starting Tomorrow In 26 Provinces, 190 Kitchens In Operation

KOMPAS.com/FIKA NURUL ULYA

Nutritious Meals Available For Free Starting Tomorrow In 26 Provinces, 190 Kitchens In Operation

Tuesday, 07 Jan 2025

The national program for providing free nutritious meals will commence tomorrow, January 6, 2025. This initiative will launch in 26 provinces, featuring the operation of 190 kitchens.

"Tomorrow, January 6, 2025, marks a significant milestone for our nation. Approximately 78 days after President Prabowo's inauguration, we will initiate a substantial program aimed at gradually providing free nutritious meals to school children," stated Hasan Nasbi, Head of the Presidential Communication Office, in a video statement on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

"This program will not only benefit school children but will also extend to pregnant women and toddlers, who will be recipients of these free nutritious meals," he added.

Hasan elaborated that the inaugural national free nutritious meal program will operate 190 Nutrition Service Fulfillment Units (SPPG), equivalent to kitchens. Each SPPG will be led by a representative from the National Nutrition Agency.

"According to information we received from the National Nutrition Agency, tomorrow, 190 SPPGs or MBG kitchens will be operational. Each MBG kitchen will be overseen by a development facilitator sent directly by the National Nutrition Agency," he explained.

These kitchen units will also be staffed with a nutritionist and an accountant to ensure that the program adheres to established procedures and is accountable.

"In addition, each MBG kitchen will have one nutritionist and one accountant to ensure that the procedures are correctly followed, nutritional standards are met, and financial accountability is maintained," he stated.

These hundreds of kitchen units will manage not only meal preparation but also the disposal of food waste. The target is to establish 5,000 SPPGs by the end of the year.

"The 190 MBG kitchens are distributed across 26 provinces, and their management encompasses not just supply chain issues but also the cleanliness and hygiene of the food from the kitchen to the processing of food waste and kitchen refuse," he concluded.