The implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program continues to face various challenges. Dr Deni Lubis, a lecturer from the Department of Sharia Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management at IPB University, highlighted that the program’s distribution remains inefficient and lacks precise targeting.
During the Strategic Discussion Series 1 (4/29) at the IPB Dramaga Campus, he noted that the MBG program carries strong philosophical value. From a Sharia economic perspective, providing food to those in need aligns with the principles of zakat, particularly zakat fitrah as the third pillar of Islam. However, he emphasized that social assistance, including MBG, must be targeted specifically to avoid waste.
“Philosophically, poverty will always exist in every country, even in highly developed ones, due to various factors such as layoffs or the loss of a breadwinner. Therefore, assistance must be strictly directed toward those truly in need,” he stated.
In practice, he observed a phenomenon where several students do not consume the meals provided by the MBG program because they are accustomed to bringing lunch from home or ordering through catering services. This condition has the potential to cause food waste. The risk of wasted food occurs as a result of distribution that is not accurately targeted.
To address this, Dr Deni proposed that the distribution of aid should not only be school or community based but should also be integrated with existing social protection systems, such as the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) or the Healthy Indonesia Card (KIS). Under this scheme, beneficiaries could redeem assistance in the form of food ingredients or meals at designated cooperatives.
“With a KIP or KIS based redemption mechanism, the assistance becomes more flexible and precisely targeted. Furthermore, food requirements can be supplied directly by local farmers through cooperatives, thereby creating a more sustainable economic ecosystem,” he explained.
This approach is considered not only to increase efficiency but also to produce a greater output with the same budgetary input. With these various inputs, he hopes that the implementation of the MBG program can be continuously refined to be more effective, efficient, and provide optimal benefits for the communities in need. (Ez) (IAAS/HNF)
