Jakarta, August 14, 2025 — President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs—Free Nutritious Meals (Makan Bergizi Gratis / MBG), People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat), and the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperatives (Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih / Kopdes)—are being likened to “express lanes” built to accelerate poverty eradication. The reason: these initiatives have the potential to create massive job opportunities while strengthening economic independence.

“This is not just about reducing poverty. If the goal were merely to address it, social assistance would suffice. But the President wants people to be empowered and economically self-reliant,” said Head of the Poverty Eradication Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) Budiman Sudjatmiko during a press conference on Thursday (Aug. 14).

Budiman used a football analogy to describe the government’s approach: the poor are the players, and the President wants them to be skilled, intelligent, well-nourished, and have broad economic access. The government’s role, he said, is to make sure the ball moves smoothly from defense to attack—until a “goal” of poverty eradication is scored.

According to Budiman, the boarding-based Sekolah Rakyat aims to break the cycle of poverty, while MBG and Kopdes Merah Putih deliver economic benefits to entire communities. MBG’s kitchens and Kopdes’ retail outlets are expected to create millions of jobs, with upstream sectors—such as farmers, SMEs, and village-owned enterprises (BUMDes)—also enjoying increased demand.

BP Taskin Deputy Head Nanik S. Deyang added that these programs give poor households tangible hope for independence. Boarding schools intentionally remove children from environments that limit aspirations, while MBG’s large-scale operations generate “value effects” for local producers.

She cited a small tofu-and-tempeh factory as an example: “Before supplying MBG kitchens, they might employ just one worker. Now, they can hire five or six. The same goes for vegetable or poultry traders.”

Beyond MBG, Nanik highlighted Kopdes Merah Putih’s role in cutting out costly middlemen from supply chains. With Kopdes, the price of 3-kilogram LPG cylinders can match government-set rates, and farmers can access fertilizer at far lower prices—without going through layers of agents, depots, and cooperatives.

“Kopdes also helps people access affordable credit, freeing them from predatory daily lenders. The cooperatives provide capital on lighter terms than banks,” she said.