National Nutrition Agency: Raw Ingredient Budget for Free Nutritious Meals Capped at Rp8,000–10,000 per Serving

Jakarta, VIVA – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has reiterated that the raw ingredient budget for the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) is set at Rp8,000–10,000 per serving, not Rp15,000.

The clarification was delivered by BGN Deputy Head for Communication and Investigation, Nanik S. Deyang, in response to widespread social media discussion regarding Ramadan menus that were deemed to deviate from budgetary provisions.

“We wish to remind everyone that the food ingredient budget for toddlers, early childhood education and kindergarten pupils, as well as primary school years 1–3, is Rp8,000 per serving. Meanwhile, for primary school year 4 and above through to breastfeeding mothers, the food ingredient budget is Rp10,000 per serving,” Nanik said when contacted in Jakarta on Tuesday.

She added that the total allocation of Rp13,000 for toddlers through to year 3 primary school pupils, and Rp15,000 for year 4 pupils and above through to breastfeeding mothers, is not entirely spent on raw ingredients. A portion of the budget is allocated to operational needs and incentives for foundations or implementing partners.

Beyond raw ingredients, the MBG budget also includes an operational cost component of Rp3,000 per serving. These funds are used for various supporting needs, including electricity payments, internet or telephone services, gas, water, incentives for volunteer workers at Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), and incentives for teachers who distribute the MBG meals.

The operational budget also covers vehicle incentives, BPJS Employment insurance payments for volunteers, incentives for posyandu cadres who distribute food to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and toddlers, procurement of personal protective equipment and hygiene supplies, fuel costs for MBG vehicles, and operational expenses for SPPG heads and their teams.

Additionally, there is an allocation of Rp2,000 per serving earmarked for land and building rentals, encompassing kitchens, four warehouses, two dormitory rooms, construction of Wastewater Treatment Installations (IPAL), water filtration systems, and rental of modern cooking equipment ranging from rice cookers, tray washing heaters, stoves, refrigerators, cold storage for raw ingredients, and cooking pots through to tray rentals.

According to BGN’s technical guidelines, the Rp2,000 per serving allocation is categorised as an SPPG facility incentive provided by partners, amounting to Rp6 million per day, based on the assumption that each SPPG serves 3,000 beneficiaries.