Finance Ministry Strengthens Budget Oversight for Free Nutritious Meal Programme

The Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) is strengthening oversight of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme budget by utilising the network of Regional Offices (Kanwil) of the Directorate General of Treasury (DJPb) across Indonesia.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said that DJPb regional office staff at the district/city level have already conducted surveys of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) in their respective areas to monitor various aspects of the MBG programme’s implementation.

“We are not placing representatives; we already have offices in every province down to level II across Indonesia, in the Treasury Regional Offices (DJPb). So we are now utilising that to conduct a kind of survey of all aspects of the SPPG there,” Purbaya said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Based on the monitoring reports, Purbaya said that the implementation of the MBG programme is generally running well.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Finance has still found many shortcomings that need to be improved. The results of the evaluation will be submitted to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for follow-up.

“In general it is good. There are many shortcomings, and the shortcomings vary, but we will report them to the BGN for follow-up so that it can be better going forward,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Purbaya has not yet met with the new Head of BGN, Sudaryono, to discuss the implementation of the MBG programme further. According to him, Sudaryono is currently carrying out internal consolidation at BGN.

“I have not met the head of BGN yet; he is still consolidating. Once the consolidation is complete, I will go there,” Purbaya said.

As for the budget realisation of the MBG programme up to the end of the second quarter of 2026, it has reached Rp101.1 trillion, reaching 63.13 million beneficiaries.