Jakarta, Aug. 6 -- The Indonesian government announced a decision to allow boarding religious schools with more than 1,000 students to independently establish and operate a kitchen for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan shared the news after attending a cross-sector coordination meeting with senior officials in Jakarta on Thursday, stressing that such kitchens must comply with the same standards required of other MBG production facilities.

He explained that the policy was adopted "for the sake of convenience," noting that it is primarily intended to facilitate the implementation of the national priority program at schools with large student populations.

"For example, boarding schools that have...