BGN Plans to Remove High-Income High School Students from Free Meal Programme
Wakil Kepala Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN) Agustina Arumsari has revealed that high school students from well-off families may no longer receive the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme starting in 2027. The policy is part of a plan to refocus the programme, which is expected to cut around 8 million beneficiaries.
“The goal is to achieve the nutritional intervention targets while focusing the recipients more precisely. For example, high school students might no longer need MBG, especially those whose pocket money is already Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000,” Arumsari said at the parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (15/6/2026), as quoted by detikNews.
“Those in the high class might not need it anymore. That is one example. This will reduce the number of recipients by about 8 million,” she added.
Arumsari stated that BGN is currently reviewing the target recipients of MBG to ensure the nutritional intervention programme is better targeted. The review is being conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Health and several other ministries.
“One of the improvement steps we are taking is refocusing the recipients. We have coordinated with the Ministry of Health and other ministries,” Arum said.
She explained that the Ministry of Health assesses that nutritional interventions should be focused on the most critical periods of a child’s growth.
“Technically, according to the Ministry of Health, nutritional health interventions are best carried out from the gestational period up to the first 1,000 days after birth, when brain volume can be maximised, then up to 2 years of age, and so on,” she continued.
Arumsari also noted that BGN has received an indicative budget ceiling of Rp 270.2 trillion for the implementation of MBG in 2027, targeting 81.5 million beneficiaries.
“According to the letter from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Development Planning for 2027, we received a budget allocation of Rp 270,201,499,678,000 for 81.5 million recipients,” she said.
However, she stressed that this figure will still be adjusted. BGN is currently running several simulations to make the programme’s budget more efficient.
“We have already exercised several scenarios, but numerically we have not yet discussed them with the Ministry of Finance and Bappenas. But clearly, there will be further efficiency measures,” she stated.
On the same occasion, Arumsari mentioned that BGN’s budget for 2027 still comes from the education and health budget posts.
“Currently, it is still from education and health, yes, education and health,” she added.