Jakarta, Aug. 20 -- The Indonesian government's Rp335 trillion (USD21 billion) Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in 2026 is expected to deliver major benefits for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a minister said.

"It's completely wrong to say the Prabowo administration is not supporting MSMEs," MSME Minister Maman Abdurrahman said at a national coordination meeting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Tuesday.

Abdurrahman said the large-scale budget allocation would directly benefit MSMEs by creating community kitchens run by medium-sized businesses.

Each kitchen will require between Rp500 million and Rp2 billion in capital and engage around 20 local suppliers for key goods such as eggs, fish, meat, ...