Free Nutritious Meal Programme Efficiency to Save State Budget Rp1 Trillion Monthly

The Head of the Indonesian Government Communications Agency (Bakom), Muhammad Qodari, has stated that budget efficiencies in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme will save the State Budget (APBN) by approximately Rp 1 trillion every month.

During a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, Qodari emphasised that the government is committed to improving the governance of the MBG Programme’s implementation. This includes a moratorium on new Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), recalculating incentives, and focusing on target recipients within the most needy groups.

“According to reports or meetings held recently at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, the calculations could save up to approximately Rp 1 trillion every month. This means it could save Rp 12 trillion per year,” said Qodari.

He noted that regarding further innovative steps by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to achieve financial efficiency as part of improving MBG governance, the government is awaiting a comprehensive study from the agency, which will be conducted during the school holiday period.

Evaluations to be undertaken include the recalculation of incentives, the number of SPPG units, and the optimisation of beneficiaries, specifically targeting breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women, and toddlers.

“The future focus will also be on the development of SPPG in 3T areas (frontier, outermost, and least developed) so that these most vulnerable groups can receive maximum benefits,” he added.

The government previously reduced the MBG programme’s ceiling in the 2026 state budget from an initial Rp 335 trillion to Rp 268 trillion.

Following a meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Monday, 15 June, the Deputy Head of the BGN, Agustina Arumsari, stated that the MBG programme will focus on groups deemed to most require nutritional intervention, such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and early childhood students. High school students, particularly those from affluent categories, may no longer be targeted for the programme.

She mentioned that after restructuring the list of beneficiaries, the BGN will focus on managing the governance of the SPPG units.

In a meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food on Thursday, 11 June, the Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, stated that the number of SPPG units has now exceeded the initial target of approximately 21,000 points. There are currently 27,877 points, representing an excess of 6,877 units.