Government Evaluates Free Nutritious Meals Programme for Elite Schools

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is evaluating the provision of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme to students at elite schools to ensure it is better targeted and reaches the groups most in need.

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar stressed that improvements to MBG governance must refer to the National Single Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN) so that beneficiaries are prioritised for the poor and extremely poor.

The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Fauzi, affirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the governance and supervision of childcare services through a national daycare arrangement, following several cases of violence against children that have drawn government attention.

The Ministry of Forestry has allocated a budget of Rp667.92 billion for 2026 to improve the welfare of communities living around forests. The budget, which is a 28.84 percent increase from the previous year, will be used for labour-intensive programmes, social forestry, farmer groups, and forest and land fire prevention patrols.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has shared several tips to help the public avoid fraudulent badal hajj services. The ministry reminded citizens that a badal hajj performer must have already completed their own hajj pilgrimage and urged the public to be wary of offers with unreasonable fees.