Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kamar Dagang dan Industri Indonesia / Kadin Indonesia) together with the Indonesian Nutritious Meal Entrepreneurs Association (Gabungan Pengusaha Makan Bergizi Indonesia / Gapembi) held the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Talks event under the theme “MBG Future: MBG as National Social Infrastructure” at Kadin Tower, Jakarta, on Friday (27/02/2026).

Head of the MBG Gotong Royong Task Force at Kadin Indonesia, Chandra Tirta Wijaya, expressed his hope that the MBG program would not only be seen as a food assistance initiative but also as the foundation of national social infrastructure.

“We congratulate and support the aspiration for MBG to become a form of social infrastructure. Infrastructure is not only about physical buildings, but also about strengthening social foundations,” Chandra said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, stated that the presence of MBG has opened new perspectives that national development does not rely solely on physical infrastructure but also on strengthening the quality of human resources through measurable and well-planned nutritional intake.

“MBG is not just about providing meals. Indirectly, it has shifted the mindset of the Indonesian nation,” Sony said.

He explained that this shift in mindset can be seen in the growing awareness among children about the nutritional content of the food they consume. Previously, children would simply eat without understanding nutritional composition, but now they are beginning to recognize elements such as carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and vitamins in their daily meals.

From an implementation perspective, Sony revealed that currently 1,067,000 workers are involved in the operation of 22,900 SPPG units. Meanwhile, a total of 24,320 SPPG units have been verified, all of which were built by Indonesian communities.

“This is what differentiates Indonesia’s school meal program from those in other countries. In many countries, the government builds the infrastructure. In Indonesia, 100 percent of the infrastructure for the school meal program is built by the community,” Sony said.

Furthermore, Chairman of Gapembi, Alven Stony, explained that the MBG program has been running since January 2024. Initially, the target for building SPPG units was 5,000, but it was later increased to 24,000 units following the directive of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

According to him, the rapid acceleration in building kitchens and SPPG facilities has created several technical challenges. However, as partners, business actors remain committed to maintaining operational standards in accordance with the technical guidelines issued by BGN.

“As business actors, we see that this acceleration is extremely fast, especially in how BGN guides its partners. With such rapid kitchen construction, there will certainly be weaknesses. We are human, so errors are inevitable,” Alven said.

Alven also clarified public misconceptions regarding the investment scheme. The construction of kitchens and procurement of equipment are financed by partners using their own funds, not by the state. Partners only receive incentives related to investment and facility leasing in accordance with program regulations.

“Many people do not yet understand that partners invest their own capital. We also aim for zero accidents because if something happens, it is our investment that will be affected,” Alven concluded.

The event was also attended by Regional Coordinator of the MBG Gotong Royong Task Force at Kadin Indonesia Desi Arianti and Chairman of the Kadin Sumatra Barat Buchari Bachter.

Speakers at the MBG Talks included Director of Governance for Nutrition Fulfillment at BGN Sitti Adha Taridala, Member of Commission IX of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia Putih Sari, and senior Indonesian journalist Bambang Harymurti.