MBG Budget to Decline Next Year, Observers Urge Programme Improvements

Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economics (CoRE), Mohammad Faisal, believes the reduction in the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme budget for 2027 must be accompanied by improvements in governance. Head of the House Budget Committee (Banggar) Said Abdullah estimated the MBG budget for 2027 would decrease to Rp174 trillion, from the 2026 allocation of Rp268 trillion. “But a budget cut alone does not answer all the problems surrounding the MBG programme. It is not just a matter of size, but also the quality of the programme’s implementation,” he said in Jakarta on Monday (6/7). He urged that the MBG programme be directed towards beneficiaries who truly need it. The government is also asked to improve the current kitchen management system. “Then also the quality of the food, which is the most important thing to pay attention to,” he added. Faisal assessed that beyond the budget reduction for the MBG programme next year, the government must also consider steps for improvement and correction of the implementation. “Starting from targeting which should be more focused, not mass-based, and according to a priority scale, to the cost structure, the kitchen distribution system, and the parties involved, down to the direct impact on the quality of the food provided,” he concluded.