RADAR TULUNGAGUNG – President Prabowo Subianto claimed that the Free Nutritious Meals program, widely known as MBG, combined with the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives initiative could generate hundreds of trillions of rupiah in circulation across Indonesia’s rural economy.
Speaking during the inauguration of 1,061 village cooperatives in Nganjuk, East Java, Prabowo explained how the Free Nutritious Meals program would directly move money into villages by involving local farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and small businesses in the food supply chain.
According to Prabowo, the MBG program creates a sustainable economic cycle because food ingredients for school meal packages come directly from communities surrounding the villages. He stressed that the Free Nutritious Meals initiative is not only a social assistance program but also a strategy to strengthen the national economy from the grassroots level.
MBG Program Expected to Create Massive Rural Money Circulation
Prabowo described a simulation of how money would rotate within one village under the MBG scheme. He assumed there would be around 3,000 beneficiaries receiving nutritious meals daily with a budget allocation of Rp15,000 per portion.
Based on that calculation, the government would spend Rp45 million every day in a single village. The amount could reach Rp900 million every month if the program runs for 20 working days. Within a year, the circulation of money in one village alone could hit Rp10.8 billion.
Prabowo said the number far exceeds the previous village fund allocations distributed by the government. Before the MBG initiative, villages only received around Rp1 billion in village funds annually. With the Free Nutritious Meals program, an additional Rp10 billion could circulate directly among rural communities.
“This is the impact of MBG,” Prabowo stated during his speech in Nganjuk.
The president believes the large-scale economic impact would become even more significant when implemented nationwide. He predicted that hundreds of trillions of rupiah would eventually flow through villages, districts, and regencies across Indonesia.
Merah Putih Village Cooperatives Become Key Economic Driver
Prabowo emphasized that the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives play an important role in supporting the Free Nutritious Meals program. The cooperatives will help organize production, distribution, and procurement of food supplies needed for MBG operations.
He explained that local economic sectors would receive direct benefits because agricultural products, fishery outputs, eggs, meat, and other food commodities would be absorbed continuously by the program.
Farmers and livestock breeders are expected to gain stable demand for their products. Fishermen and village-based micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) could also experience higher income as the government expands MBG implementation nationwide.
Prabowo argued that the economic model reflects Indonesia’s populist economic principles. He said the concept prioritizes community welfare instead of concentrating profits among large corporations.
Prabowo Criticizes Neoliberal Free Market System
During the speech, Prabowo also criticized neoliberal free market systems, which he believes only benefit wealthy investors and large capital owners.
He warned that without state intervention, rural wealth could flow outside Indonesia and fail to strengthen domestic economic growth. According to him, excessive dependence on free market mechanisms allows profits to accumulate among big businesses while ordinary people receive limited economic gains.
Prabowo said the MBG and Merah Putih Village Cooperatives programs were designed to prevent that situation. He believes the initiatives will help retain money circulation within local communities and create a stronger national economic foundation.
The president repeatedly highlighted that the government focuses on “fundamental” economic policies capable of delivering direct impact to the people.
He insisted that the Free Nutritious Meals initiative should not be viewed merely as a welfare project. Instead, the government sees it as a long-term investment in human resources and rural economic empowerment.
Government Targets Wider MBG Expansion
The government continues accelerating the rollout of the Free Nutritious Meals program across Indonesia. MBG has become one of Prabowo’s flagship policies since taking office, with the administration targeting millions of beneficiaries nationwide.
The launch of more than 1,000 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives in Nganjuk signals the government’s attempt to integrate food security, local business development, and social welfare programs into one national economic strategy.
Prabowo expressed confidence that the combination of Free Nutritious Meals and village cooperatives would revive Indonesia’s rural economy while creating sustainable growth from villages upward.