MBG Efficiency to Be Implemented for Five Days, Purbaya: Not Reducing Quality

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) will be run five days a week as part of budget efficiency measures, without reducing benefits for the public. This policy is intended to keep the programme running optimally while making budget usage more measured amid the government’s fiscal adjustments. “In other areas, across all ministries, there is efficiency. We have designed a third phase to cover the existing budget shortfall,” Purbaya said at the Ministry of Finance office in Jakarta on Friday (27/3/2026). “This means adjusting to the changing circumstances. So there should be no problems,” he added. Purbaya emphasised that the government is not cutting the MBG budget. The adjustment comes from within the programme’s implementing body, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), while maintaining the quality of benefits received by the public. Besides the MBG programme, the government is also reviewing other spending positions across all ministries and agencies as part of the next phase of budget efficiency strategy. This step is taken to maintain fiscal balance while covering potential budget shortfalls. However, he has not detailed the total amount of efficiency to be implemented by the government. “We’ll just calculate it later,” he said. The government assures that efficiency measures will prioritise the quality of state spending so that priority programmes, including MBG, continue to have a real impact on the public.