BGN: Free Nutritious Meal Programme Budget for 2026 Not Rp268 Trillion, Significantly Reduced

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has confirmed that the budget for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme will no longer be Rp268 trillion. The figure has been significantly reduced, although the exact amount remains undisclosed as the process is ongoing.

Deputy Head of BGN Agustina Arumsari stated that the budget reduction aligns with ongoing governance improvements, including the search for fairer schemes and refocusing efforts. “So, regarding the figure, I cannot disclose it yet, but it is clearly no longer Rp268 trillion; it has been significantly reduced. But because the process is still ongoing, I cannot mention the number yet,” Agustina said at the Presidential Palace Complex on Monday (20/7/2026).

President Prabowo Subianto has given a one-month deadline to find solutions for improving the MBG’s governance to make it more efficient. Agustina cited an example of this efficiency, noting that the budget value per portion will no longer be a flat rate of Rp15,000 across all regions due to differences in food prices in each location.

Furthermore, she mentioned conducting checks on operational SPPG (Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit) points and creating a database for each beneficiary. “What is clear is that we do not want to follow the old ways. We are tidying up the existing 27,469 points. For those under construction that have already received the so-called blue tick, around 13,000 are being built by BGN. We are thoroughly reorganising those,” she said.