National Nutrition Agency Proposes Rp118tn Extra Budget for 2026 Free Meals Program

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, has proposed an additional budget of Rp118 trillion for next year’s free nutritious meals (MBG) program. This is in addition to the agency’s indicative budget of Rp217 trillion already allocated for 2026.

Dadan stated that the current allocation would not be enough to cover the agency’s operational needs for the entire year. The program is expected to serve 82.9 million children and pregnant women starting in January 2026.

He also noted the need to establish thousands of new nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG).

“The Rp217 trillion budget will run out by the end of August 2026,” Dadan said after a closed-door meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives at the Parliament complex in Jakarta on Thursday, July 10.

According to Dadan, monthly expenses for the program are estimated at around Rp25 to Rp26 trillion. “From September to December 2026, we will need additional funding, just like we did this year,” he said.

In the program’s first year of implementation in 2025, the National Nutrition Agency received Rp121 trillion. Initially, the government allocated Rp71 trillion for the MBG program through the 2024 State Budget.

President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship program has drawn criticism from civil society groups. One such critique came from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios).

Celios Director of Public Policy, Media Wahyudi Askar, argued that the MBG program should not be applied universally. He said the program lacks proper targeting and puts excessive pressure on the national budget.

According to him, free nutritious meals should be prioritized for children who are truly in need, such as those who are malnourished or living in remote, underdeveloped regions.

“With the current distribution model, many recipients come from upper middle-income households. That makes the spending ineffective and misdirected,” he said.

Dian Rahma Fika contributed to the writing of this article.

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