Finance Minister to Slash 2026 Free Nutritious Meal Programme Budget at BGN's Request

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has announced that the government will slash the budget for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme in 2026, following a request from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). Purbaya explained that the request was made directly by BGN head Nanik S. Deyang during a meeting with Ministry of Finance officials on Thursday, 25 June 2026. “The head of BGN came to the Ministry of Finance yesterday and reported that there would be further savings from the BGN programme,” Purbaya said during a media briefing at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Friday, 26 June 2026. He confirmed that the programme’s budget would decrease drastically from the previous figure of Rp 335 trillion, though he did not specify the exact amount of the cut. “I think it is quite significant. But let the head of BGN announce it later,” he stated. During the meeting, the BGN head also conveyed difficulties in supervising the programme’s implementation in the regions. In response, Purbaya said he would form a team to assist BGN with oversight. The Ministry of Finance will instruct its regional branch offices to help monitor the Nutritional Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) in their respective areas on a regular basis. “My people in the regions will monitor the SPPG periodically, so I have the tools and I can control the budget. They also agreed that if something is not right, we can just shut it down,” Purbaya added. As of May 2026, only 26.3 percent of the Rp 335 trillion MBG programme budget had been realised.