State Budget Savings Continue with Free Nutritious Meals Programme
The State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi has stated that the government’s budget efficiency policy will not reduce flagship programmes that directly benefit the public, including the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme and the people’s school (SR) initiative.
He emphasised that the government will continue to prioritise more productive and targeted spending. “We prefer to reduce spending that we consider less productive,” Prasetyo said after attending a coordination meeting at the Ministry of Defence in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to him, the efficiency measures are implemented through budget reviews on line items deemed to have no significant impact on society. Funds from these items are then reallocated to strengthen programmes whose benefits are directly felt by the public.
Prasetyo explained that this policy aims to ensure state budget is used optimally to help ease the burden on society, particularly amid economic challenges. “That is what we reallocate so that productive programmes, impactful programmes, programmes that can help ease the burden on society, are prioritised,” he said.
Earlier, the Co-ordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto assured that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme and the Red and White Village Cooperatives would not be affected by the budget efficiency policy.
The government is currently drafting a budget efficiency plan for various ministries and agencies as an effort to keep the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) deficit for the 2026 fiscal year below 3 per cent.
However, Airlangga explained to journalists at the Co-ordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta on Monday that the government will not cut budgets for flagship programmes.
The President, through the State Secretary, has also issued a circular prohibiting luxurious open house celebrations by officials during Eid 2026 to maintain social empathy. The majority of civil service apparatus (ASN) support the budget efficiency policy, although there are significant concerns about the impact on service quality.