Fithra Faisal, Chief Expert at the Presidential Office (PCO), said the main objective of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program is to increase the capacity of human resources (HR).
"The main goal is indeed the long-term impact, increasing the absorptive capacity of human resources, which can ultimately become a lubricant for the economy. The medium- to long-term goal is nutrition, which will then improve students' cognitive abilities," he said during a public discussion on the findings of the National Survey by the Indonesian Social Survey in Jakarta on Thursday.
The government is said to be trying to promote the MBG program properly so that it has a positive impact on society.
In the short term, the program has the effect of reducing household expenditure.
For example, with the average family having two children from middle- and lower-middle-class families, each child spends Rp 15,000 on food. This translates to Rp 30,000 for lunch, and Rp 600,000 if multiplied by 20 days.
The MBG program is estimated to reduce each person's monthly expenses by around IDR 600 thousand.
"Why isn't it visible yet? First, the reach-out hasn't been fully realized .
