Budiman urges MBG to keep running amid BGN case

Head of the Accelerating Poverty Eradication Agency Budiman Sudjatmiko has called for the Makan Bergizi Gratis program to keep running despite legal problems involving former leaders of Badan Gizi Nasional. In a dialogue at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro in Semarang on Friday, Budiman rejected calls to halt MBG and said the program is tied to President Prabowo Subianto’s campaign promise as well as the mandate to improve schoolchildren’s nutrition. He acknowledged that MBG’s implementation needs to be criticized sharply, but said criticism should focus on fixing management in each region. Budiman also stressed that nutrition interventions through MBG are needed not only for students, but also for pregnant women.