Purbaya Confirms MBG Suspension During Eid to Save Budget

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that suspending the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) during Idul Fitri could save several trillion rupiah in the budget. “The MBG Head has reported it, right? They said it would be suspended. It’s a significant saving of several trillion. I’ve read it,” Purbaya said when met at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (19/3). “So, during the holiday, no MBG will be distributed; that’s a considerable saving. Then it will resume as usual,” he added. Purbaya referred to the statement by the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, who said the MBG programme would be suspended during Idul Fitri, saving around Rp5 trillion. In a statement on Tuesday (17/3), the BGN Head mentioned that MBG distribution to schools would be halted from 13 March 2026, and deliveries for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers would be the last on 17 March 2026. He said the MBG programme would resume distribution to beneficiaries starting 31 March 2026. “That’s about Rp5 trillion saved that way,” he explained. Dadan also clarified that no MBG distribution would occur for all beneficiary targets, both students and non-students, from 18-24 March. Instead, distributions would be brought forward. Meanwhile, on Monday (16/3), the Finance Minister also conveyed that there is still room for budget efficiency in the MBG programme, which has an allocation of Rp335 trillion. Purbaya said MBG is a good programme because it helps many people, especially lower-class groups. However, he believes the implementation of MBG can still be optimised. “MBG will be made more efficient in how they spend. I think MBG is a good programme because not everyone is wealthy. It’s just that the implementation needs to be optimised,” Purbaya stated. Currently, the Finance Minister is also preparing budget efficiency plans for several ministries and agencies as one of the efforts to keep the 2026 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) deficit below 3%. The temporary suspension of MBG operations is part of strategic management to ensure distribution remains on target. He emphasised that the government will continue to prioritise more productive and targeted spending.