Beneficiaries of Free Nutritious Meals Programme to Be Reduced, Some Schools Removed, BGN Given One Month for Review

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has been given an additional month to improve the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. This follows President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction that one of his priority programmes must be precisely targeted. Deputy Head of BGN Agustina Arumsari stated that the President is no longer setting a target for the number of beneficiaries. Instead, the MBG programme must be accurately targeted. Consequently, the BGN is currently refocusing the beneficiaries. ‘Clearly, there will be a reduction in the number of beneficiaries later,’ she said during a press conference at the BGN Building on Tuesday (21/7/2026). She explained that her agency is still conducting a review of the beneficiaries. From the current total of 62.7 million MBG beneficiaries, some are likely to be removed. She revealed that several schools have already been identified for removal from the MBG recipient list. However, she could not yet confirm the exact number of schools that will no longer receive the programme, nor the specific school levels affected. ‘But we have already seen some schools. I cannot reveal the number yet, otherwise it will be considered final,’ she said. Arumsari explained that the refocusing of MBG beneficiaries is being carried out under the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan. Additionally, the BGN will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance. ‘Because ultimately it will lead to a budget revision, won’t it? So, there will be an impact on budget reduction,’ she said. BGN Principal Secretary Lili Khamiliyah added that the agency had already undergone budget efficiency measures before the governance improvements were ordered. The MBG programme budget was originally IDR 268 trillion and has been streamlined to IDR 229 trillion.