Chatib Basri Advises Prabowo on Free Nutritious Meals Programme

A delegation from the National Economic Council (DEN) led by Luhut B. Panjaitan met with President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (9/6/2026). During the meeting, the DEN presented a report to Prabowo on current economic conditions, developments in GovTech, and the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Luhut was accompanied by several DEN members, including senior economist Chatib Basri, Firman Hidayat, and Septian Hario Seto.

Chatib Basri, a former Finance Minister under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, stated that the DEN had reminded the President about the risk of rupiah depreciation impacting the middle class. He assessed that the government is expected to pursue fiscal efficiency, including budget efficiency within the MBG programme. "And what must be done, also to foster confidence and trust in the government. One of those steps involves budget efficiency, including aspects related to the MBG," Chatib said after the meeting with Prabowo. As is known, the MBG, a flagship programme of the President, requires a large budget for its implementation. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty from global shocks has yet to subside. This condition puts pressure on the exchange rate and pushes up oil and gas prices, triggering price increases that then squeeze the Indonesian middle class. Chatib added that fiscal management issues are also a source of public distrust in the government.

During the same occasion, Hario Seto also explained a DEN survey on the MBG conducted at 800 random points. The survey found that 86.9% of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) currently do not have a single small-scale MSME supplier located nearby. "If we calculate, there are 3 MSMEs partnered with each SPPG, so this proves that the MBG programme, besides achieving the president’s goal of improving the nutrition of Indonesian children, is also creating a new supply chain ecosystem," Seto said. Seto also found that 65% of these MSMEs are located in the same regency as the SPPG location, meaning the SPPGs are supplied by MSMEs rather than large suppliers. Regarding employment, Seto stated that 99% of the empowered local community members reported high performance satisfaction, reaching 70% in some areas, although there are aspects to improve such as providing capital assistance for MSMEs. "So they have better working capital, can serve more SPPGs, and offer diverse commodities. This is what we see as the driver behind why our growth can reach 5.61%, which we reported to the president regarding the MBG survey conducted independently by the DEN," Seto said.