Prabowo orders BGN to review Rp15,000 MBG meal budget

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto urged the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to assess whether a Rp15,000 (US$0.83) per-recipient budget is adequate for meals under the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

BGN Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari said on Wednesday (July 15) that the president instructed the agency to conduct thorough calculations before making a decision.

“He asked us whether Rp15,000 is adequate, calling for a review and determining a new figure if the budget turns out to be inadequate,” she told reporters after meeting Prabowo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Arumsari framed the directive as a guiding principle for BGN to improve the implementation of the national priority program.

Regarding the discourse on cutting the program’s overall budget allocation, she emphasized that discussions and calculations remain ongoing.

Under the previous funding scheme, Rp8,000 was allocated for each MBG recipient from early childhood education up to third grade and Rp10,000 for students from fourth grade through senior high school.

The allocations excluded Rp3,000 in operational costs and Rp2,000 in facility costs.

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