Indonesia's MBG Free Meal Program to See Budget Cuts and Target Shift

Indonesia’s free school‑meal initiative, Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG), is under government review. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the program’s budget may be reduced, noting the original allocation of Rp 335 trillion was already revised to Rp 268 trillion for 2026, with a possible further cut of around Rp 40 trillion pending a detailed assessment by the Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN).

BGN’s deputy head Agustina Arumsari announced a refocusing of beneficiaries toward regions with high stunting rates, aiming to raise the share of pregnant women, lactating mothers and toddlers from the current 17 % to a higher proportion. The agency is re‑examining data on roughly 62.7 million recipients to eliminate duplicate enrolments and to better target high‑need areas such as Papua, Nusa Tenggara and other high‑price‑food regions.

In Papua, a new MBG monitoring dashboard has been launched with UNICEF support to track supply chains, service units and beneficiary coverage, improving transparency and accountability. Meanwhile, the Lampung province is conducting a full evaluation after 21 reported food‑poisoning cases, focusing on data verification, service‑unit mapping and menu safety.

President Prabowo Subianto defended the program in multiple cabinet briefings, rejecting criticism that it is wasteful and highlighting larger economic leakages such as transfer‑pricing. The MBG scheme remains a core element of Indonesia’s social‑protection agenda, providing free nutritious meals to over 74 million schoolchildren and other vulnerable groups.