Prabowo Targets 5 Million New Jobs from MBG

RRI.CO.ID, Sentul – President Prabowo Subianto targets the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program to create up to five million new jobs for the Indonesian people. This ambitious target aligns with the program's expansion plans, which will serve 82 million beneficiaries by the end of 2026.

"In the end, if we reach 82 million recipients, we will create 3 to 5 million jobs," the President conveyed at the National Coordination Meeting in Sentul on Monday, 2 February 2026. He is optimistic that this figure will be achieved as all service kitchen infrastructure distributed nationally is completed.

The President underscored that the program is already having a real impact, absorbing one million workers in its initial phase. This achievement is supported by the operationalization of over 22,000 Service Unit kitchens that have been actively operating throughout the country.

"I will prove to you, brothers and sisters, that I have now created 1 million jobs just from MBG," President Prabowo said. He added that each kitchen involves dozens of local suppliers in every village, thus creating strong economic circulation at the grassroots level.

The government also noted rapid progress, with the program reaching 60 million beneficiaries in just one year and four months. This figure of 60 million recipients is claimed to be a major success that the government was not previously expected to achieve.

Economic analysis shows that every dollar spent on this program will generate a minimum fivefold economic impact. In the long run, the value of this nutrition investment is even projected to yield up to 35 times the national development benefits.

The successful implementation of MBG in Indonesia is now beginning to attract serious international attention, including from experts at the White House in the United States.This global interest arises from the massive scale of the program and its significant impact on societal well-being and economic growth.

In fact, the Rockefeller Institute called this free food program the best investment a country can make today. This international support strengthens Indonesia's position in implementing socio-economic transformation through the sustainable strengthening of national nutrition.