Acknowledging Miscommunication, Purbaya: No More Electric Motorcycle Purchases for MBG This Year

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has emphasised that in 2026 there will be no further purchases of electric motorcycles for the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). He stated that he had confirmed this matter with the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana. “I asked (the Head of BGN), there are none this year. So there will be no more purchases this year,” said Purbaya at the Ministry of Finance, Jakarta, on Thursday, 9 April 2026. He admitted that there had been a miscommunication in the discussion of the electric motorcycle procurement last year. Initially, Purbaya thought the procurement proposal had been rejected by him. However, it turned out that part of the proposal had already proceeded. Purbaya also suspected that the procurement submission was made before he took office as Finance Minister. Nevertheless, he emphasised that he would monitor the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme more closely in the future. “It might have been submitted before I became minister, so I didn’t know. But we will review it going forward. Clearly, there will be no more in the future,” he said. In a written statement on Thursday, 9 April 2026, the Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana, explained that the budgeting for electric motorcycles for SPPG was included in the End-of-Fiscal-Year Fund Holding Account (RPATA), which complied with the Minister of Finance Regulation (PMK). “At the end of 2025, the Committing Officer (PPK) had submitted the Payment Order Letter (SPM), so the budget entered the RPATA. This mechanism complies with PMK 84 of 2025, where payment is made in two stages: term 1 upon completion of 60 percent of the units, and term 2 for completion up to 100 percent of the units,” said Dadan. He added that until the end of the opportunity period on 20 March 2026, the provider was only able to complete 85.01 percent, or 21,801 units out of the 25,644 contracted units. “The remaining funds that have been held will be returned to the state treasury with the cancellation of the RPATA along with the stage 2 payment,” he stated. In total, the realisation of the electric motorcycle procurement reached 21,801 units from the initial plan of 25,644 units. Dadan also emphasised that information claiming the number reached 70,000 units was untrue. He further stated that the electric motorcycle procurement was part of the 2025 budget planning, not a new programme that emerged suddenly.