Purbaya Promises Tighter Budget Oversight for Free Nutritious Meals Programme, Here's the Strategy
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has confirmed that his ministry will further strengthen oversight of budget implementation for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme across Indonesia.
He explained that one approach is to utilise the network of regional offices (Kanwil) of the Directorate General of Treasury (DJPb), which are present throughout Indonesia.
Purbaya said that DJPb regional office staff at the district/city level have already conducted surveys of Nutrition Service Fulfilment Units (SPPG) in their respective areas to monitor various aspects of the MBG programme’s implementation.
“It’s not about placing representatives; we already have them in every province down to level II across Indonesia, in the Treasury regional offices (DJPb). So, we are now utilising them to carry out a kind of survey of all aspects of the SPPG there,” Purbaya said at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.
Based on the monitoring reports, Purbaya said that the implementation of the MBG programme is generally running well.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Finance still found many shortcomings that need to be addressed. The evaluation results will be submitted to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for follow-up.
“Generally speaking, it is good. There are many shortcomings, and the shortcomings vary, but we will report them to BGN for follow-up so that it can be better going forward,” he said.
However, Purbaya acknowledged that he has not yet met with the new Head of BGN, Sudaryono, to discuss the MBG programme’s implementation further. According to him, Sudaryono is currently carrying out internal consolidation at BGN.
“I have not met the head of BGN yet; he is still consolidating. Once the consolidation is complete, I will go there,” Purbaya said.
As for the MBG programme budget realisation up to the end of the second quarter of 2026, it has reached Rp101.1 trillion, reaching 63.13 million beneficiaries.