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View all search resultsBGN wants extra Rp 118t to fund free meals program in 2026
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Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers harvest rice under the command of Gen. Agus Subiyanto in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, on July 10. (Antara/Yudi Manar)
T
he National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has requested an additional Rp 118 trillion (US$7.27 billion) to finance the free nutritious meals (MBG) program through the end of 2026, citing a projected shortfall in the initial budget allocation.
BGN head Dadan Hindayana made the statement on Thursday after a closed-door working meeting with House Commission IX, which oversees health and manpower, in Jakarta.
“We’re proposing an additional Rp118 trillion next year,” Dadan said, as reported by Kumparan. “The current indicative ceiling will only support the program until August 2026.”
Based on the newly estimated monthly needs, the total budget funds required to run the MBG program throughout 2026 is estimated at Rp336 trillion.
The BGN’s indicative budget for 2026, set at almost Rp218 trillion, was outlined in a joint letter from the Finance Ministry and the National Development Planning Ministry (Bappenas).
However, Dadan warned that that amount would be insufficient to cover all 12 months of MBG operations if the program is run at full scale to reach 82.9 million beneficiaries nationwide from January on.
“The Rp 217 trillion would be fully absorbed by the end of August,” he said, Kumparan reported. “Serving 82.9 million beneficiaries will require more than Rp 25 trillion per month.”
