Prabowo: MBG to Focus on Performance, Not Corruption

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program will continue despite facing budget pressures and criticism regarding its implementation in the field.

This program is seen as a long-term investment to improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources, especially in reducing numbers stunting and strengthen the foundations for the development of future generations.

“I will survive as much as possible. Rather than having money corrupted, it would be better for my people to be able to eat,” said Prabowo, in a discussion with journalists and experts, quoted from a release from the Indonesian Communications Agency (Bakom) on Sunday (22/3/2026).

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The Head of State assessed that this program was a follow-up to the results of absorbing people’s aspirations during the campaign period.

“You don’t see those kids stunting? I see. I campaigned several times, I was in the villages, I saw it. How old are you? 11 years old. The body of a 4 year old child. I, I’m sure, I’m on the right path. “We have the money,” said Prabowo.

Prabowo views the MBG program as having a broad economic impact through creating jobs in various sectors, from production kitchens to the food supply chain.

“At MBG, at its peak, we will have 31,000 kitchens. Let’s say, for simplicity’s sake, the calculation is 30,000 kitchens. Each kitchen employs 50 people. That’s already 1.5 million jobs,” he said.

He detailed that each Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) or MBG kitchen can create 5-10 vendor food ingredient supplier in each kitchen.

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“Those selling eggs, those selling carrots, those selling vegetables, everyone vendor This empirically employs around 5 farmers. So how much is that? It’s 50 again. Another 1.5 million people work,” said Prabowo.

Regarding various criticisms and findings in the field, the President admitted that there were still shortcomings in the implementation of the program, but the government had taken firm steps to control it.

“There are a thousand, more than a thousand (kitchens) that we have closed,” he said.

The President emphasized that funding for this program does not come from new debt, but from efficiency and reducing leaks in the state budget.

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“We have the money. We just need to organize, we will reduce leaks,” said Prabowo.

The President added that this policy is part of efforts to ensure that economic benefits are truly felt by the wider community, especially lower groups who have not yet fully enjoyed the results of development.

“Most of our people have not enjoyed the goodness of our economy for too long,” concluded Prabowo.

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