Purbaya Reveals Further MBG Budget Efficiency

Jakarta – CNBC Indonesia reports that Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has said the government will once again tighten the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) budget. The remarks were made at the APBN KITA press conference at the Ministry of Finance, on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

According to Purbaya, MBG budget realisation has reached Rp75 trillion, or 22.4% of the programme’s total funding needs. In line with the President’s direction, MBG efficiency has been implemented and, to date, stands at Rp268 trillion. This budget has been trimmed from the original Rp335 trillion allocated for this year.

‘Specific savings in accordance with the President’s instructions will allow the BGN (Badan Gizi Nasional) funds to be used more efficiently. There will be further savings later,’ Purbaya said on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, Purbaya did not elaborate on the details of the further savings. But in principle, the President wants MBG to operate well and effectively in providing nutritious meals to school pupils. He only confirmed that with Rp75 trillion absorbed by end-April 2026, MBG recipients to date have reached 61.96 million beneficiaries with 27,952 SPPG.