Government accelerates MBG program's implementation in Central Papua

hartono · Aug 13, 2025

Officials from the Ministry of Villages, State Intelligence Agency (BIN), Ministry of Cooperatives, and National Nutrition Agency (BGN) meet with tribal leaders, religious figures, community and customary leaders during a gathering in Nabire District, Tuesday, August 12, 2025. ANTARA/HO-Public Relations, Central Papua Provincial Secretariat.

Jayapura (ANTARA) - The central government is expediting the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program in Central Papua Province to ensure residents benefit from improved nutrition.

Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated in a press release received by ANTARA on Wednesday that Papua is among the fastest provinces to roll out the program, having reached 25 percent of its target.

"Across Papua, 101 out of the 414 targeted units have been reached, based on population-based calculations," Hindayana stated.

He remarked that there are currently 38 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in Papua Province, 27 in West Papua, three in South Papua, 14 in Central Papua, four in Highland Papua, and 15 in Southwest Papua.

"We hope much of the funding allocated to Papua through the National Nutrition Agency will be spent on purchasing locally sourced ingredients," he remarked.

Hindayana explained that these local ingredients are cooked by local communities and distributed to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and schoolchildren—ranging from early childhood education levels to vocational high schools.

Central Papua Governor Meki Fritz Nawipa stated that the MBG program has brought wide-reaching benefits, from stimulating the local economy through demand for agricultural and livestock products to improving nutrition among mothers and children, including those at risk of stunting.

"The acceleration of the MBG program in Central Papua has involved forming working groups led by regional heads, adding healthy kitchen centers, allocating regional budgets, and mapping schools as program locations," the governor explained.

In addition to MBG, the Central Papua Provincial Government is providing supplementary food for toddlers, offering free health checks, establishing 1,045 village cooperatives, and implementing the Integrated Village Economic Transformation (TEKAD) program in Nabire and Dogiyai since 2023.

Melkisedek Rumawi, a tribal leader in Nabire, expressed strong support for the MBG program and praised the National Nutrition Agency’s presence in indigenous communities.

He emphasized the importance of proper nutrition for indigenous children to help them grow into healthy, educated future leaders of Indonesia.

"The MBG program is especially valuable for indigenous communities, preparing their children as the next generation for Indonesia," Rumawi stated.