Rp8.2 trln spent on free meals program, nutrition agency says

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana has said that the state budget realization for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has reached Rp8.2 trillion (around US$505.2 million) as of August 11, 2025.

The Rp8.2 trillion was spent on nutritional interventions for schoolchildren and pregnant women in various regions of Indonesia, he told the press after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The budget realization is targeted to reach around Rp10 trillion to Rp11 trillion by the end of August.

“The beneficiaries have reached above 15 million, and God willing, it will be close to 20 million,” he said.

Using the budget, the BGN has established 5,103 nutritional fulfillment service units across the country to supply food for the program.

To support the target of reaching nearly 20 million MBG beneficiaries, the BGN is targeting to operate eight thousand SPPGs by the end of August 2025. The SPPGs will primarily be funded by the state budget.

According to Hindayana, one of the efforts to support the operations of SPPGs is accelerating the verification process.

He further affirmed that the BGN will coordinate with other parties to accelerate the procurement through the government’s e-Katalog marketplace.

Earlier, President Prabowo had expressed the hope that the number of MBG beneficiaries will reach 82.9 million by December 2025.

However, he stressed the importance of maintaining standards, including providing adequate training to workers employed in kitchens supplying food for the free meals program.

The MBG program was launched on January 6, 2025, as one of the main initiatives of President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka for their 2024–2029 term.

Through the program, the government aims to improve the nutritional status of children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and schoolchildren up to the high school level.