By Dede Leni Mardianti
Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti stated that the government is providing schools with the opportunity to manage the free nutritious meal program (MBG). Mu’ti explained that this concept will only be implemented in schools with adequate facilities that are prepared to provide nutritious meals.He said that this concept is known internationally as the school kitchen program. “The mechanism is still under inter-ministerial discussion and will be confirmed after the issuance of a presidential regulation related to MBG management,” Mu’ti said at Muria Kudus University in Central Java on Wednesday, October 7, 2025, as quoted by Antara.Mu’ti said that the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) will determine the readiness of schools to manage the MBG independently according to certain requirements. Mu’ti has not disclosed what criteria the BGN will assess.He said that the mechanism for managing MBG through the school kitchen is still under inter-ministerial discussion. He assured us that this regulation will be announced after the presidential regulation regarding MBG is issued. “We will wait for the presidential regulation to be issued to see the final outcome. Whatever it may be, we will follow and implement it,” he said.The Secretary General of Muhammadiyah confirmed that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education fully supports President Prabowo’s priority program. However, he said that his ministry only plays a supporting role. The BGN is responsible for the main implementation.Mu’ti expressed concern about the MBG poisoning cases experienced by thousands of students. He assured us that the Ministry of Education will take a proactive approach to improving the implementation of the MBG program. “We have held several inter-ministerial meetings to improve MBG implementation and ensure its safety and fulfillment of the president’s expectations,” he said.As of October 4, 2025, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) had recorded 10,482 cases of MBG poisoning among children. This number increased by 1,833 people during the period from September 29 to October 4.Agus Sartono, a professor at Gadjah Mada University’s Faculty of Economics and Business, stated that the poisonings occurred due to the length of the food processing and distribution process. He urged the government to change the MBG management concept, which had been in place for 10 months.According to him, distribution through nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG) has consistently caused issues, ranging from a lack of food variety and nutritional fulfillment to poisoning cases that have hospitalized students and resulted in fatalities.”Learning from the good practices of developed countries, this MBG program should be implemented through school cafeterias,” said Agus in a written statement on Friday, October 3, 2025.Editor’s Choice: Analyst: Direct Cash Could Boost Indonesia’s MBG Benefits to Rp50,000 per ChildClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News