National Nutrition Agency Denies Budget for Free Nutritious Meal Programme is IDR 15,000 per Portion, Here are the Details
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has denied that the budget for food ingredients for the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) during Ramadan is IDR 15,000 per portion. The budget for food ingredients for the MBG is set at only IDR 8,000 to IDR 10,000 per portion.
Deputy Head of the Agency for Communication and Investigation, Nanik S Deyang, said that the budget of IDR 13,000 for toddlers up to 3rd-grade elementary school students and IDR 15,000 for 4th-grade elementary school students and above, as well as breastfeeding mothers, is not entirely used for food ingredients. According to her, some of the budget is allocated for operational needs and incentives for foundations/implementing partners.
“We would like to reiterate that the budget for food ingredients for toddlers/early childhood education/kindergarten/Islamic kindergarten, as well as elementary/Islamic elementary school grades 1-3, is IDR 8,000 per portion. Meanwhile, for elementary/Islamic elementary school grades 4 and above up to breastfeeding mothers, the budget for food ingredients is IDR 10,000 per portion,” said Nanik in a written statement on Tuesday (24/2/2026), as quoted from detikFinance.
In addition to food ingredients, Nanik said that the MBG budget also includes operational costs of IDR 3,000 per portion. She explained that the funds are used for various supporting needs, such as electricity, internet/telephone, gas, water, incentives for SPPG worker volunteers, incentives for PIC teachers, and vehicle incentives.
Furthermore, the budget is also used for payments for BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (workers’ social security) for volunteers, incentives for posyandu cadres who distribute food for the 3Bs (babies, toddlers, and pregnant women), the purchase of personal protective equipment and hygiene needs, payment for MBG vehicle fuel, and the operational costs of the SPPG head and their team.
Then, there is also a budget allocation of IDR 2,000 per portion which is used for land and building rental, including kitchens, four warehouses, two staff rooms, the construction of an IPAL (integrated wastewater treatment plant), water filtration, and the rental of modern cooking equipment and transportation.
Based on the latest technical guidelines (juknis) number 401.1, the budget of IDR 2,000 per portion is categorised as an incentive for SPPG facilities provided by partners, amounting to IDR 6 million per day, with the assumption that each SPPG serves 3,000 beneficiaries. Nanik said that BGN remains open to input and reports if there are indications that the MBG menu is below the allocated budget.
“Every report will be followed up on professionally, objectively, and in accordance with the applicable supervision procedures, to ensure that the implementation of the MBG Programme runs in accordance with the provisions and standards that have been set,” she added.
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(iws/iws)