Hoax: Prabowo Halts Free Nutritious Meals Programme, Diverts Funds to Nusantara Capital City

A claim circulating on social media that President Prabowo Subianto has halted the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme and reallocated its funds to the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) development is false.

The hoax, which appeared on Facebook, featured a caricature of President Prabowo and former President Joko Widodo alongside a narrative stating the MBG programme was being stopped to finance IKN. However, no official statement from the government supports this claim.

On the contrary, President Prabowo has instructed his staff to review the programme’s targeting to ensure it prioritises those most in need, including communities in the lowest economic brackets and areas prone to stunting. Wakil Kepala Badan Gizi Nasional (Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency), Agustina Arumsari, stated that the President requested all input regarding the programme’s implementation be studied before any decisions are made. She emphasised the directive aims to make the programme more effective, not to terminate it.

Furthermore, on 13 July 2026, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) confirmed that MBG distribution had resumed following the school holiday period. The break was used to conduct various improvements, including strengthening governance and refining operational aspects to enhance service quality for beneficiaries. “We want to ensure that MBG distribution runs well again after this adjustment period,” Arumsari said.

Therefore, the claim that President Prabowo has stopped the MBG programme and diverted its budget to IKN is untrue. The programme remains active, with the government actively working to improve its implementation and targeting.