Jakarta, June 23 -- Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Riza said the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) is a noble and important programme, emphasising its governance crucially needs to be improved.

Riza said from the perspective of philosophy and values-including religious principles emphasising the state's obligation towards vulnerable groups such as the poor, women, and children-MBG has a strong foundation.

As quoted in a statement received here on Tuesday, he said the criticism so far has not been directed at the programme's objectives, but rather at its management aspects, such as governance, implementation processes, and quality verification.

"I believe that even those who criticize it may feel that fundamentally MBG is not a wrong prog...