September 29, 2025 | 12:46 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The budget for the free meal or MBG Program will be increased by Rp28 trillion this year, bringing the total allocation for 2025 to Rp99 trillion, up from the original Rp71 trillion.
Dadan Hindayana, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), explained that while President Prabowo Subianto initially aimed for a Rp100 trillion boost, the agency has had to revise its absorption capacity multiple times.
"Earlier, we recalculated, and it is likely that we will not be able to absorb Rp50 trillion. It is highly probable that we can only absorb an additional Rp28 trillion. So, Rp71 trillion plus Rp28 trillion this year," Dadan said after meeting with Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
The budget increase comes despite slow utilization. According to the Ministry of Finance, only Rp13.2 trillion of the original allocation was realized as of August 2025. Dadan stated that as of Friday, September 26, the absorbed MBG budget had only reached Rp19.3 trillion.
Dadan forecasts that budget utilization will accelerate with the establishment of more Nutritious Meal Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs), or MBG kitchens. He noted that budget absorption is "positively correlated with the number of beneficiaries and is identical to the formed SPPGs."
Each new SPPG absorbs an estimated Rp900 billion per month. With the number of MBG kitchens predicted to reach 10,000 by the end of September, Dadan expects budget absorption to hit Rp4 trillion by mid-October.
Treasury Oversight
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that his ministry will now meticulously examine MBG budget utilization across various regions to ensure funds are properly spent.
"I just want to make sure that the program will really run, have an impact on the economy, and will not give me a headache if it's audited in the future," Purbaya said. He has deployed Finance Ministry members to 20 randomly selected regional points for monitoring.
The Minister confirmed this oversight is intended to help BGN utilize funds more effectively. However, he remains committed to reclaiming any dormant MBG funds.
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