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View all search resultsAnalysis: Free meals program: The devil is in the implementation
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A worker prepares meal packages for the free nutritious meal program on Feb. 12 in the kitchen of an Islamic boarding school in Kudus regency, Central Java. (Antara/Yusuf Nugroho)
T
he free nutritious meal program, intended to meet the nutritional needs of millions of students, faces significant implementation issues. Despite being a government priority, its large scale lacks organizational discipline and clear institutional alignment, leading to uncoordinated execution, especially concerning its alignment with the academic calendar and school vacations.
Concerns arose when raw ingredients, ultra-processed foods and sugary snacks appeared on the program's menu in some areas of South Tangerang, Banten. These items were distributed by nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPGs) to approximately 4,075 students to be stored at home during the extended school break. However, the head of the South Tangerang City Education and Culture Agency denied any coordination with the SPPGs on this distribution method.
In response, Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), clarified that the program's policy has never included distributing raw ingredients or ultra-processed snacks. He explained that this isolated incident involved only one out of 1,885 active SPPGs and resulted from a field officer's misinterpretation.
Hindayana also noted the program continues during the vacation, serving pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and toddlers via community health posts or home deliveries.
Edy Wuryanto, a member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives, urged the BGN to finalize technical guidelines for vacation period implementation to prevent future distribution and meal composition issues.
To ensure consistent implementation of this large-scale program, the government has involved the security apparatus, including the police and the Indonesian Military (TNI), blurring civil and military roles.
On June 25, National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo broke ground for 24 SPPG kitchens in local police precincts in Central Java, aiming to serve around 90,717 beneficiaries within three months. The Army also reported operating 71 kitchens in Jakarta, funded by the BGN, and has constructed 190 of the 1,300 SPPGs planned for 2025. The TNI is tasked with logistical support, distribution, oversight and evaluation, especially near district military commands.
