MBG Optimisation Team Formed to Ensure Efficient Use of BGN Budget

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has formed an optimisation team for the distribution of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) to make state budgeting more efficient.

“Through screening of beneficiaries, BGN can use the budget efficiently, while avoiding waste of state funds, because MBG becomes food waste due to not being eaten by students,” said Deputy Head of BGN, Nanik S Deyang, via her official Instagram account, as reported by ANTARA on Monday (20/4/2026).

Nanik added that expensive private schools will be informed that they will not receive MBG, while for public schools in elite areas, due to their heterogeneous nature, questionnaires will be distributed stating who wants MBG and who does not.

“In this way, MBG will be given to schools where students truly want to receive and need it,” said Nanik.

“For a few days, I deliberately visited several schools in Jakarta, and it was quite heartbreaking to see some lunch boxes apparently not eaten, with reasons like ‘bored with the egg side dish all the time’, said primary school children in North Jakarta. There were also reasons that it’s nicer to eat at the canteen,” said Nanik.

She added that several DPR members also provided input that expensive schools with the majority of students from affluent backgrounds should not be given MBG.

“Likewise in public schools where many students are from affluent backgrounds, they need to be asked who wants MBG and who does not, because on average students already have better provisions or pocket money to snack at the canteen,” she said.

“They said it’s wasteful, because it’s not eaten, and sometimes taken home and given to the housemaid,” said Nanik.

BGN is following up on President Prabowo Subianto’s orders to focus MBG on malnourished children.

“With the permission of the Head of BGN, Mr Dadan Hindayana, I then formed an optimisation team for MBG distribution to ensure it hits the right targets, consisting of an investigation team under me, the deputy for promotion and cooperation, and the deputy for monitoring and supervision,” said Nanik.

Nanik conveyed the formation of the team after her sudden inspection visit to several schools and Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) to ensure improvements in the quality of the MBG programme.

She explained that the optimisation team will begin screening beneficiaries in the DKI Jakarta area first, and later move to other regions.