Free Meal Program Budget Absorption Reaches Only 58% by Year-End

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November 20, 2025 | 09:23 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara reported that as of November 18, 2025, the utilization of the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) budget had reached Rp41 trillion. This amount is only 58 percent of the allocated MBG budget for this year.

The absorption of MBG funds continues to be encouraged to reach the target of 82.9 million recipients.

"The budget has been realized at Rp41.3 trillion, meaning about 58 percent of the state budget allocation of Rp71 trillion. This means that until November and December, there is still an allocation of Rp30 trillion that can be used for nutritious meals," he said in a press conference at the Ministry of Finance office in Jakarta, November 20, 2025.

The recipient's target achievement will adjust this allocation. Until now, the Ministry of Finance has reported that MBG has served 41.9 million recipients with 15,369 kitchens or nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG). The government also claims that MBG has absorbed 556,735 workers until November 14, 2025.

Previously, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that President Prabowo Subianto would add additional funds from the initial allocation. The additional funds provided will amount to Rp28 trillion.

Dadan expressed confidence that absorption will continue to increase as the program is implemented. "It will continue to increase throughout the month, so that we will be short of about Rp28 trillion at the end of the year," he said at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs office in Jakarta, Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has committed to monitoring the usage of ministerial/agency budgets, including BGN. The state treasurer will withdraw unabsorbed funds at the end of the year.

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