inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto stated that the Free Nutritional Meals (MBG) program had reached 55 million beneficiaries as of January 5, 2026, a year since the priority program was first launched on January 6, 2025.

He described this achievement as an achievement, considering that it took Brazil 11 years to distribute free lunches (PNAE) to 40 million schoolchildren.

"As of today, there are 55 million beneficiaries in Indonesia, which is the equivalent of feeding Singaporeans eight times. Think about it, every day we feed 55 million people, my friends. The President of Brazil told me that they need 11 years to reach 40 million beneficiaries. We reached 55 million in one year as we started on January 6, 2025," said President Prabowo on Tuesday (1/6/2026).

On the same occasion, he recounted the appreciation expressed by various parties for Indonesia's MBG program, including from the renowned US research institute, the Rockefeller Institute.

President Prabowo continued, explaining that various experts from the Rockefeller Institute had come to Indonesia to observe the implementation of MBG in schools firsthand.

"The Rockefeller Institute came to Indonesia to see our project (MBG, ed.) and told me about it at the Merdeka Palace. The expert from the Rockefeller Institute said, 'This is your best investment ever,'" President Prabowo said.

The expert from the Rockefeller Institute then told the President that the money invested in the MBG program could generate a multiplier effect of 5-35 times.

“That is what they told me, where in actuality I did not aim for that. What drives me was simply that I couldn’t bear to see our child unable to eat proper food. For those who are privileged with riches, this may be unimportant, but for many who live in villages, the free nutritious food meant a lot for them,” explained Prabowo.

Prabowo also recalls that the idea of MBG has long been in his mind since he went to many regions in Indonesia.

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