MBG Halted During Eid Recess, Saving Budget Up to Rp5 Trillion

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), has stated that distribution of free nutritious meal packages (MBG) has been temporarily halted during the Eid al-Fitr 2026 recess.

The MBG programme for schoolchildren was suspended from Friday, 13 March 2026, whilst the MBG packages for pregnant women and nursing mothers were last distributed on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.

“After that, we will celebrate Eid al-Fitr. The Free Nutritious Meal programme will resume distribution on 31 March 2026,” Dadan told journalists in remarks broadcast on BGN’s official YouTube channel on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.

When asked whether the temporary suspension would result in budget savings for the BGN, Dadan confirmed it would.

“Certainly. We will save approximately Rp5 trillion,” he said.

Maximising Efficiency

Furthermore, Dadan confirmed that amidst the government’s efforts to implement budget savings in response to current global pressures, the BGN would contribute to these efforts.

“Certainly. During budget harmonisation meetings regarding current global phenomena and their effects on Indonesia’s energy and economy, we are calculating how we can contribute. We must have a sense of crisis. We will undertake measures that allow for efficient use of the budget,” he stated.

“First, we must use the budget effectively to prevent misuse. We will also undertake activities to more effectively reduce expenditure,” he added.

From the BGN’s budget of Rp268 trillion, he continued, usage would be optimised with maximum calculation.

The BGN is now collaborating with the Attorney General’s Office to prevent abuse and misuse of the MBG programme implementation, including embezzlement and implementation that does not conform to regulations.