National Nutrition Agency Prepares Rp232.5 Trillion Budget for Free Nutritious Meal Programme Next Year

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is preparing a budget of Rp232.5 trillion for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme in 202<0xC2>7. This budget will be utilised to serve 72,464,886 beneficiaries across Indonesia.

This was stated by the Head of BGN, Sudaryono, during his first Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR RI). He noted that, overall, the BGN has been allocated a 2027 budget ceiling of Rp240.21 trillion.

Of this total, the MBG budget amounts to Rp232,503,133,201,000, representing approximately 96.8% of the BGN’s total ceiling. The MBG budget is divided into two major groups of beneficiaries: school children, and pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.

Sudaryono explained that school children constitute the largest group of beneficiaries for the MBG programme, reaching 60,599,777 people with a budget allocation of Rp198,963,202,243,000. Meanwhile, the group consisting of pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers (referred to as 3B) is targeted to reach 11,865,109 recipients, with a budget of Rp33,539,930,958,000.

Consequently, the total target for MBG beneficiaries in 2027 reaches 72,464,886 people, with a total budget of approximately Rp232.5 trillion. Sudaryono emphasised that the MBG is one of the national priority programmes to be implemented gradually from 2025 to 2029.

“The MBG is one of the national priority programmes organised in the form of providing free nutritious meals, implemented gradually from 2025 to 2029 to improve the quality of human resources through enhanced nutritional intake for the target groups,” said Sudaryono during the meeting at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday (3/9/2026).

Regarding the 60,599,777 school children target, the coverage includes all educational levels. Sudaryono detailed that the beneficiaries consist of 6,383,018 early childhood education (PAUD/RA/TK) students, 24,517,310 primary school (SD/MI) students, 11,509,238 junior high school (SMP/MTs) students, and 10,417,813 senior high school (SMA/MA/SMK) students.

Additionally, the MBG programme targets 143,547 special needs school (SLB) students, 2,976,055 students in Islamic boarding schools (santri), and 4,652,796 other recipients within the education sector. For the 3B group, the target includes 8,083,400 toddlers, 1,745,936 pregnant women, and 2,035,773 breastfeeding mothers.

The scale of the MBG allocation makes the national nutrition fulfilment programme the largest component of the 2027 BGN budget. In his presentation, the national nutrition fulfilment programme received an allocation of Rp232.876 trillion, while management support accounts for Rp7.325 trillion.

Sudary0no explained that the 2027 BGN budget ceiling has undergone adjustments from the previous indicative ceiling.

“The preparation of the 2027 BGN budget involved two stages: first, the indicative ceiling based on a joint letter from the Minister of Finance and the Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas on 7 May 2026, which was set at Rp270.20 trillion,” he stated.

Subsequently, the BGN budget ceiling was set at Rp240.201 trillion.

“The BGN budget ceiling, based on the joint budget ceiling letter (SBPA) from the Minister of Finance and the Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas, became Rp240.20 trillion,” he continued.

With this adjustment, there is an efficiency of approximately Rp30 trillion in the MBG portion procurement component.

“There is an efficiency of Rp30 trillion, specifically in the MBG beneficiary component, which was reduced from the original Rp265.5 trillion to Rp232.5 trillion,” Sudaryono clarified.

In terms of expenditure types, the majority of the 2027 BGN budget consists of goods expenditure, reaching Rp233.12 trillion or 97.05%. Meanwhile, personnel expenditure reaches Rp7.08 trillion or 2.95%. Sudaryono emphasised that this large proportion is specifically directed towards the implementation of the MBG for beneficiaries.

“Therefore, the composition of our large budget is indeed 97% used and converted into MBG menus served to beneficiaries, both students and non-student beneficiaries, such as the 3B group,” he concluded.