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View all search resultsBGN asks for Rp 24t top-up as beneficiary numbers grow
BGN has spent Rp 7.9 trillion of its budget to serve 8.2 million recipients and expects that figure to rise significantly by the end of the year.
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Rollout day: Workers prepare lunch trays for students of SMA Muhammadiyah 2 high school in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Jan. 6, the first day of the free nutritious meal program. Around 6,000 lunch packages were distributed across Sidoarjo that day as part of the free meals program, a key election promise of President Prabowo Subianto. (Antara/Umarul Faruq)
T
he National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has stated that it needs an additional Rp 24 trillion (US$1.46 billion) to cover a shortfall in its Rp 71 trillion budget for meal procurement under the free nutritious meals program, as it aims to gradually expand the number of beneficiaries to over 80 million this year.
According to the agency, it has spent Rp 7.9 trillion of its budget to serve 8.2 million recipients and expects that figure to rise significantly by the end of the year.
“Thank God, […] although we had initially estimated it would only reach Rp 6 trillion by the end of July,” BGN head Dadan Hindayana said during a press conference at the Office of the Coordinating Economy Minister on Tuesday.
This month, the BGN plans to spend a total of Rp 9 trillion, targeting around 20 million recipients. The program is projected to absorb Rp 19 trillion in September, Rp 37 trillion in October and Rp 59 trillion in November, with an estimated 50 million, 72 million and 75 million beneficiaries, respectively.
“In December, we expect to spend Rp 76 trillion. Of the Rp 71 trillion allocated from the state budget, Rp 52 trillion is earmarked specifically for meal procurement,” he said, adding that the remaining funds would go toward employee salaries, capital expenditure and program management.
Therefore, the government needs an additional Rp 24 trillion to cover the shortfall for the free meals alone. It has set a target of 82.9 million free meals beneficiaries nationwide once the program reaches full scale later this year.
Dadan also reported that 3,233 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) are currently operating across Indonesia, serving approximately 8.2 million recipients.
