Purbaya Says Budget per Portion for Free Nutritious Meals Not Cut
Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated there has been no cut to the budget per portion for recipients of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. The value per portion is confirmed to remain unchanged from the initial plan, even though the National Nutrition Agency’s (BGN) budget for this year has been reduced.
“In fact, the food is ensured to remain nutritious. We’ll see later, I’m not a nutritionist, and what is clear is that the human resources are being improved. If I’m not mistaken, they (BGN) will recruit more nutritionists,” he said during a press conference at the Ministry of Finance office in Jakarta, Friday, June 26, 2026.
The BGN’s budget was initially Rp 335 trillion this year but has been reduced to Rp 268 trillion due to efficiency measures. Meanwhile, the cost per portion for the MBG menu ranges from Rp 8,000 to Rp 10,000.
Purbaya said he has reviewed the budget proposed by the Head of BGN regarding the efficiency plan. He admitted he agreed with the budget cut, even suggesting it could be larger.
“If it were up to me, I would want it to be zero, but stopping it would also be wrong because the programme is good. It’s just the implementation that needs to be fixed,” he said.
Purbaya assessed that President Prabowo Subianto is serious about improving the governance of the MBG programme. This seriousness is evident from the arrest of several BGN leaders, including Dadan Hindayana, on suspicion of corruption within the programme.
Previously, Deputy Head of BGN Agustina Arumsari stated that the indicative budget ceiling for her agency is Rp 270.201 trillion for 2027. However, this figure is not yet final and may still be reduced.
“We will continue to discuss this. So, if we use the beneficiary figures from the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), we will simulate what the value is,” she said after a meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta, Monday, June 15, 2026.
BGN will continue to improve the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals programme by shifting the focus of beneficiaries to those who are more in need. The agency has also coordinated with the Ministry of Health to determine nutritional provision for groups ranging from infants to children, as well as nutritional fulfilment at later ages.