Free Nutritious Meal Programme Distribution Suspended During School Holidays

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) will not distribute the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme during the school holiday period, using the break to reorganise and standardise its management for more optimal future implementation.

BGN Deputy Head and Spokesperson Agustina Arumsari stated that the decision was taken to focus on standardising operational governance and resource efficiency. “For this occasion, the policy we have adopted is to completely halt MBG distribution with the intention of standardising operational governance and resource efficiency,” Agustina said during a press conference at the BGN office in Jakarta on Thursday.

Agustina noted that the BGN issued Circular Letter Number 12 of 2026 on 17 June 2026 concerning the adjustment of operations for Nutritional Service Fulfilment Units (SPPG) during the holiday period for the 2026 fiscal year MBG programme. “This circular was issued to optimise operational governance, resource efficiency, and standardisation of the MBG programme at SPPGs,” she said.

During the holiday period, all recipients will not receive MBG, including students and the ‘3B’ group of pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and non-early childhood education toddlers. With no MBG distribution during the school holidays, SPPGs will also not receive incentives.

According to Agustina, this differs from previous distribution patterns, including during Ramadan, which used specific delivery mechanisms such as a bundling system. For this school holiday period, the BGN decided against any MBG distribution. She added that the school holiday momentum is being used by the BGN to reorganise and improve the management of the MBG programme so that its future execution becomes increasingly optimal.