Budget Cuts for Ministries and Agencies: Finance Minister Purbaya's Statement on Free Nutritious Meal Programme

Jakarta — Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa plans to streamline spending for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) priority programme.

Purbaya believes that the implementation method and expenditure pattern of the programme can still be improved to become more efficient without reducing its benefits to the public. As is known, the MBG programme budget reaches Rp 335 trillion.

“The MBG (programme) will be made more efficient in terms of their spending. I think MBG is a good programme,” said Purbaya when met at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs on Monday, 16 March 2026.

Purbaya emphasised that budget efficiency is carried out without reducing benefits to the public. This is because the main objective of the programme is to improve the nutritional quality of society, particularly for children, so they do not experience health problems such as stunting.

“Later people will criticise us (if we reduce MBG benefits) because this is a good programme and since not everyone is wealthy, many are poor, which results in stunting, so the implementation will be optimised,” he said.

When asked by reporters whether the MBG budget could be reduced from the initial figure of Rp 335 trillion while still achieving nutritional adequacy goals, Purbaya stated that this was possible.

“I think so,” he said.