Indonesian government cuts Saturday MBG, saving Rp1 trillion daily: Ministry
According to him, this measure is part of a broader refocusing of government spending to ensure that priority programs are implemented more efficiently and effectively.
“For example, the MBG program, which previously provided free meals on Saturdays, has now been discontinued. That could save Rp1 trillion in a single day,” he said on Monday.
Agung noted that the policy is also more practical, as students no longer need to come to school solely to receive meals.
He added that the savings could reach approximately Rp4 trillion per month if calculated over four weeks.
“We could potentially save around Rp50 trillion annually (US$225 million),” he continued.
Furthermore, the government has also suspended MBG distribution during school holidays as part of efforts to refine the program.
Agung said the government will continue implementing priority programs through a more focused and higher-quality approach.
“This is a refocusing effort. We will continue existing priority programs with greater quality and precision,” he stated.
He added that the government is also evaluating nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG), or MBG kitchens, that fail to meet nutritional standards.
The government will take firm action by temporarily suspending the operations of SPPGs that do not meet these standards.
Agung also noted that the spending adjustments are aimed at keeping the State Budget deficit under control amid pressure from global oil prices.
He emphasized that the government is holding off on raising subsidized fuel prices to protect people’s purchasing power, despite the resulting increase in subsidy spending.
To this end, the government is controlling expenditure and optimizing revenue, including through the core tax system and potential gains from rising commodity prices such as coal and crude palm oil (CPO).
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Translator: Aria Ananda, Resinta Sulistiyandari