New MBG Scheme to be Distributed Five Days a Week, Except in 3T Regions
The government has established that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme for school students will be distributed five days a week. This decision was made during a virtual High-Level Coordination Meeting (Rakortas) with the President on Saturday (28/3/2026) and applies to schools with a five-day learning system.
According to detikEdu, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana stated that there are exceptions for 3T (frontier, outermost, disadvantaged) regions as well as areas with high stunting rates. In those regions, MBG distribution will continue for up to six days, including Saturdays.
“The provision of MBG on Saturdays for areas with high stunting risks is a strategic step to ensure children receive adequate nutrition every day,” he explained, quoted from the official BGN website on Sunday (29/3/2026).
Dadan explained that if schools operate for five days, MBG will be provided accordingly. He noted that the majority of schools operate five days a week.
“If the school is five days, they will receive MBG for five days, while if there are schools that are six days, MBG will be given for six days. Based on the data available, the majority of school durations are five days,” he added.
Priority for MBG in Regions with High Stunting Rates
BGN is also prioritising regions with high stunting prevalence in implementing the programme. To this end, the agency refers to data from the 2024 Indonesia Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) from the Ministry of Health to determine regions requiring further intervention, particularly in eastern Indonesia.
BGN will also collaborate with local Education and Health Offices to ensure MBG reaches its targets accurately. Data collection includes the number of schools, number of students, and stunting prevalence in each region.
“Data integrity is very important because this programme concerns the health and future of the younger generation. We do not want any child to be left behind in nutritional fulfilment,” said Dadan.
Is the Five-Day MBG Related to Efficiency?
Previously, the Minister of Finance of Indonesia, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, mentioned that BGN has prepared options for MBG programme efficiency. The efficiency plan involves reducing the number of distributions from six times a week to five times a week.
If the plan is implemented, said Purbaya, the state could save around Rp 40 trillion per year. That figure is based on a rough calculation from BGN.
“So there is also efficiency from MBG. There is quite a significant reduction, which he said is Rp 40 trillion in the initial rough calculation, but it could be more. It’s not me cutting it; indeed, he is doing it himself because he (BGN) said there can still be efficiency in the current situation,” he said in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (25/3/2026), quoted from detikNews on Sunday (29/3/2026).
Meanwhile, on a different occasion, President Prabowo Subianto assured that the MBG programme will continue amid efficiency policies due to the impact of the Middle East conflict. According to him, there are many ways to save besides cutting MBG.
He also stated that the programme should not be stopped during a crisis. He believes the government has sufficient funds to finance MBG.
“So, don’t go towards okay, there’s a crisis, then we stop MBG. Right? There are still many other ways we can save. There are still many. I am certain I am on the right path. We have the money. We have the money. I stake my leadership; in 2029 we will see,” said Prabowo in a discussion session with journalists and observers some time ago, quoted from CNBC Indonesia on Sunday (29/3/2026).
Prabowo emphasised that MBG is a programme that can improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources (HR), particularly in reducing stunting rates. In addition, he mentioned that MBG has broad economic impacts through job creation from the food supply chain to the production side.