Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Finance has disclosed that the government disbursed Rp710.5 billion (US$41 million) for the free nutritious meals (MBG) program as of March 12, 2025.
"As of March 12, budget disbursement has reached Rp710.5 billion, benefiting more than two million people under this program," Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara stated at a press conference on Thursday.
The program currently serves 2,053,248 beneficiaries, including 111,127 pre-elementary students, 912,023 elementary students, 578,465 junior high school students, and 424,145 high school and vocational school students.
Additionally, the program covers 10,681 Islamic boarding school students, 4,548 students of special schools, 7,811 toddlers, 1,835 pregnant women, and 2,613 breastfeeding mothers.
Nazara also reported that 246 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), or public kitchens, are operating to support the program.
Previously, the government allocated Rp71 trillion (US$4.1 billion) for the MBG program through the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), targeting 17.9 million beneficiaries this year.
However, President Prabowo Subianto has instructed an expansion of the program in 2025, increasing the target to 82.9 million beneficiaries.
With this expansion, the required budget is projected to rise to Rp171 trillion (US$10 billion).
The additional funds will come from efficiency savings in ministry and institutional (K/L) spending, as directed by Prabowo.
In late January, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati signaled a grant to the request for an additional budget for the MBG program worth Rp100 trillion (US$5.8 billion). According to the minister, the MBG program is a long-term investment necessitating substantial funding.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has called for quarterly audits of the MBG program.
"We have met with the Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana and agreed to conduct quarterly audits for the MBG program. This will allow us to identify areas for improvement," he stated.
