Indonesia's MBG nutritional program expands in Mataram and faces calls for regional growth

The Mataram City Government in West Nusa Tenggara has reported that 24,864 individuals are benefiting from the 'Makan Bergizi Gratis' (MBG) program under the 3B category, which includes pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers. The beneficiaries are distributed across six sub-districts, supported by 65 operating kitchens that have obtained hygiene and sanitation certificates.

Local health officials noted that the program is a strategic effort to reduce stunting rates in Mataram, which have recently decreased from 5.84 percent to 5.3 percent. Task force leader H Lalu Martawang emphasized that strict supervision is necessary to ensure the program serves as a long-term investment in human resource quality.

Concurrently, Tutik Kusuma Wardhani, a member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), is advocating for the expansion of the MBG program to underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions, particularly in Eastern Indonesia. She stressed that while the program is vital for addressing stunting and improving human resources, it must be funded through existing budgets without infringing upon the legally mandated 20 percent education budget allocation.