State Secretary Minister says MBG programme budget may decrease

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi has stated that there is a possibility of a reduction in the budget requirements for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme after management improvements at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and the validation of beneficiary data. “There is a possibility that after the improvement process in management or in the leadership of the National Nutrition Agency and after the data validation process, there will be a decrease in the MBG budget requirements,” Prasetyo said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday. Prasetyo noted that this possibility had also been previously conveyed by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. According to him, the results of the management improvements and data validation will subsequently determine the programme’s budget requirements more accurately, making it possible that the MBG budget needs will be lower than previous calculations. After attending a Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Purbaya said he could not yet confirm the figure to be set. He mentioned that he would first meet with the Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Nanik S. Deyang, as the programme’s executor. “I want to meet with the Head of BGN in the coming weeks to see what her final strategy will be for this year. But clearly, there is a possibility of a decrease,” Purbaya said. Purbaya stated that he could not yet explain the magnitude of the budget reduction in question or the factors the government is considering in making these adjustments. The government has emphasised that the decision regarding the budget amount will be made after further discussions with the National Nutrition Agency. The MBG programme budget under the state budget is Rp268 trillion. However, BGN Principal Secretary Lili Khamiliyah mentioned that this budget could potentially be subject to efficiency measures, bringing it down to Rp229 trillion, in line with efforts to improve programme governance over the next month. “For the time being, in 2026, we are also implementing budget efficiency, from Rp268 trillion to Rp229 trillion,” Lili said during a press conference at the BGN office in Jakarta on Tuesday.