In an effort to improve national nutrition, President Prabowo Subianto has established 85 Nutritional Support Centers as part of the Free Nutritious Meal Program, which is currently in the testing phase across all provinces in Indonesia.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi announced that these centers are being prepared ahead of the program’s official rollout in early January 2025.
“This trial isn’t limited to just one location. We’ve been testing in various sites for approximately 10 months, and we’ve gathered extensive evaluations,” Prasetyo said on the sidelines of the Red-and-White Cabinet Retreat at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, on Sunday, October 27, 2024.
One of the Nutritional Support Centers is based in Magelang near the Military Academy, where cabinet members convened over the weekend.
This center currently provides around 3,000 to 4,000 nutritious meals to recipients, coordinating with local agencies to ensure smooth distribution.
Prasetyo emphasized the government’s commitment to expanding these centers across the nation, including to remote coastal areas, outer islands, and Papua by next year.
He acknowledged that reaching these remote areas will require special logistical approaches, overseen by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which is responsible for the program.
“The system is still evolving, as this is a new initiative for our country,” Prasetyo said.
Dadan Hindayana, Head of the National Nutrition Agency, noted that these 85 centers are strategically placed in every province and serve as a national pilot project to address nutrition challenges across Indonesia.
