Head of National Nutrition Agency: Free Nutritious Meal Programme to Resume Operations on 31 March

Jakarta — The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has confirmed that the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) will resume operations on 31 March 2026 following a temporary suspension during the Eid al-Fitr holiday period.

“The Nutritious Meal Programme will resume operations on 31 March,” Dadan said at the Attorney General’s Building in Jakarta on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.

He stated that the temporary suspension was implemented to align with the Lebaran holiday break.

Distribution to school students was halted from 13 March 2026, whilst provision for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children ended on 17 March 2026.

According to Dadan, this measure also forms part of efforts to achieve budgetary efficiency.

He claimed that the temporary suspension of the MBG programme during Lebaran was able to save the budget by approximately Rp5 trillion.

“Of course (budget savings). That is approximately Rp5 trillion,” he said.

On the other hand, Dadan continued, the BGN is strengthening oversight of the programme’s implementation, given that most of the budget is distributed directly to service units in the regions.

Dadan revealed that there are now over 25,000 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) operating throughout Indonesia.

To enhance oversight, the BGN is working with the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that monitoring of budget usage can be carried out down to district and village levels.

Dadan emphasised that oversight is conducted in layers, ranging from internal BGN checks, audits by the Financial and Development Supervisory Board (BPKP), to the preventive involvement of law enforcement officials.

Additionally, the BGN has also opened a public complaints channel through the “Nutrition Friend 127” service, which can be accessed 24 hours a day.