Indonesia's free meals program creates nearly 1 million jobs: BGN

hartono · Feb 15, 2026

Illustration—A Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program menu consisting of carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, and fruits. ANTARA/Gunawan

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, launched by President Prabowo Subianto, has created jobs for nearly one million people across Indonesia, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) claimed.

In a statement issued in Jakarta on Sunday, BGN Deputy Head for Public Communication and Investigation Nanik Sudaryati Deyang explained that each MBG kitchen—formally known as a nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG)—requires about 47 workers to prepare and distribute free meals to targeted residents.

With around 21,000 SPPGs already operating nationwide, she noted, the program may have directly employed at least 987,000 people across various regions.

Beyond SPPG staff, the initiative also supports indirect employment through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that supply ingredients to MBG kitchens. BGN’s observations show that MSMEs producing essentials such as tofu, tempeh, salted eggs, and vegetables typically need three to five additional workers to meet SPPG demand.

Each MBG kitchen partners with about 15 suppliers, meaning the program could benefit roughly 40,000 MSMEs and indirectly absorb up to four million workers.

She further noted that the program’s budget of Rp15,000 (nearly US$1) per meal has generated wider economic impacts by stimulating local food supply chains.

The government views the MBG program as a strategic instrument to expand access to nutritious food for Indonesian children and improve overall dietary intake.

On Friday (Feb. 13) in Jakarta, President Prabowo highlighted that the program has been providing daily meals to more than 60 million schoolchildren, toddlers, breastfeeding mothers, and pregnant women, with the figure expected to exceed 80 million this year.

He also projected that the initiative would employ 1.5 million workers through SPPGs.