“MBG’s budget for this year is Rp71 trillion (US$4.2 billion), and we will spare an additional Rp100 trillion (US$6 billion). If we achieve 82 million beneficiaries next year, the budget will be more than Rp300 trillion,” she said on Wednesday.
She informed that the funds will be sourced from the 2026 State Budget.
In addition to increasing the number of recipients, the government will also prepare a value chain linked to the halal ecosystem, Indrawati added.
In June 2025, chairperson of the National Economic Council (DEN), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said that the MBG budget for next year will reach Rp300 trillion.
He informed that the MBG budget of Rp171 trillion (US$10 billion) this year is focused on the Java region.
However, he said he believes that the program can accelerate national economic growth, adding that the involvement of several economic actors in the program could push up economic turnover.
Therefore, Pandjaitan encouraged the expansion of the program’s coverage, including with the budget increase.
For this year, the government has allocated a budget of Rp71 trillion for the MBG program to meet the initial target of covering 17.9 million beneficiaries—15.5 million students and 2.4 million pregnant/breastfeeding women and toddlers.
However, President Prabowo Subianto has called for increasing the number of recipients to 82.9 million and nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPGs)/public kitchens to 32 thousand.
To meet this need, the government plans to expand the MBG budget by Rp100 trillion, taking the total to Rp171 trillion.
As of August 5, 2025, the MBG program’s budget absorption was recorded at Rp7.9 trillion (US$470 million), higher than the Rp6 trillion (US$357 million) projected by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).
Significant budget absorption of Rp9 trillion (US$535 million) is expected in the next two months.
By the end of December this year, budget absorption for the program is projected to reach Rp76 trillion, with the program covering more than 75 million beneficiaries.
Related news: Rp8.2 trln spent on free meals program, nutrition agency says
Related news: Private partners fund 14,000 MBG kitchens, not state: official
Related news: Free Nutritious Meal part of fulfilling human rights: Minister Pigai
Translator: Imamatul Silfia, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
