Director General of Treasury, Astera Primanto Bhakti, explained at a press conference on Friday that until April 2025, MBG disbursements were made through reimbursement, with payments processed only after nutrition service units (SPPG)—the MBG’s kitchens—submitted expenditure claims.
“After April, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) began submitting plans for the next 10 days, which we review and then pay in advance. If we look at the realization data, the pace has already picked up. From June through September, absorption has tripled,” Bhakti said.
The adjustment came after the government observed slow budget realization at the beginning of the year. A review of the payment system led to the adoption of an advance-payment mechanism, replacing the earlier reimbursement model.
The impact of the new approach is evident in the MBG’s budget absorption, which has now reached approximately Rp20 trillion, distributed through 13,000 SPPGs serving 30 million beneficiaries.
This figure reflects a sharp increase from the September 22 update, when Rp13 trillion had been disbursed to 22.7 million recipients through 7,644 SPPGs. The current realization represents 18.3 percent of the government’s 2025 budget ceiling of Rp71 trillion.
“So, there has been quite a significant acceleration in the months after April,” Bhakti noted.
The Finance Ministry stated that MBG budget allocations will continue to be adjusted in line with progress toward the target of reaching 82.9 million recipients. The government also aims to expand coverage while improving service quality.
By region, the largest share of MBG beneficiaries is in Java with 13.26 million people, followed by Sumatra (4.86 million), Sulawesi (1.7 million), Kalimantan (1.03 million), Bali–Nusa Tenggara (1.34 million), and Maluku–Papua (520,000).
Related news: Nitrite confirmed as cause of mass food poisoning in West Bandung: BGN
Related news: Luhut defends free meal program despite mass food poisoning cases
Related news: Govt acts on MBG food poisoning: Unsafe vendors to be shut down
Translator: Imamatul Silfia, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
