Purbaya Responds to MBG Budget Cut Plan, Defers to Prabowo's Directive

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has stated that the planned budget reduction for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme will be adjusted according to the directive of President Prabowo Subianto. He acknowledged receiving information about the plan but did not disclose details regarding the amount of the cut. “We follow the President’s decision,” Purbaya said at the House of Representatives (DPR) complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday, 11 June 2026. He asked the public to await an official statement from the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik S. Deyang, for further developments.

Previously, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi indicated there would be a budget reduction for the MBG programme. The plan emerged from recalculations and improvements to the governance of the president’s priority programme. However, the government has not yet determined the amount of the reduction. Prasetyo requested time for the Ministry of Finance and the BGN to calculate the potential budget cut. “So, from this restructuring process, we will be able to calculate more precisely what the total budget required for this MBG Programme actually is,” Prasetyo said after a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs office in Jakarta on Thursday, 11 June 2026.

The MBG budget for 2026 has been set at Rp 268 trillion. The State Secretary emphasised that the government has agreed on a comprehensive restructuring of the MBG Programme, which is targeted for completion within the next month. Prasetyo added that the government is also continuing efforts to increase the number of beneficiaries from the groups of pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers (3B) within the next two weeks. As part of the restructuring process, the government is also refocusing beneficiaries, including reducing distribution to schools that, based on data and priorities, are not included in the MBG distribution priority.