Bogor – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has confirmed that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program will not disrupt budget allocations for other ministries, including the health and education sectors. This statement was issued in response to public concerns regarding the financing of this priority program.
The Head of the National Health Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, explained that allocations for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers are included in the detailed output of the health function. For 2026, the BGN has budgeted Rp 24 trillion for this function.
“The Nutrition Agency’s Rp 24 trillion budget is included in the health function, but it doesn’t interfere with the Ministry of Health’s budget. This is evident from the Ministry of Health’s annual budget increases, even though the Rp 24 trillion allocated for 2026 is for the National Nutrition Agency’s health function,” Dadan said.
He added that a similar scheme applies to groups of school children, including Islamic boarding school students (pesantren) and religious schools, which fall under the educational function. Dadan ensured that the allocation would not reduce the budget allocated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education or the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
“Then, for school children, including Islamic boarding school students (Islamic boarding school) and other religious schools, the output of the education function is detailed. That’s why there’s a Rp 223 trillion budget for education, but it doesn’t disrupt the budget of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, as it continues to increase year after year. It also doesn’t disrupt the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, as it also increased from last year to this year,” Dadan continued.
He also ensured that central transfers to regions for teacher allowances would continue to increase.
“Furthermore, it won’t disrupt central transfers to regional levels for teacher allowances, as they’ve increased by 10 percent from last year to this year,” he said.
Previously, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya denied the narrative that MBG was reducing the education budget.
“So, yesterday, there were some, a few, who claimed that the Free Nutritious Meals program was reducing education programs and budgets, thus neglecting schools and neglecting teachers. So, I want to answer that; that’s a false narrative,” said Teddy.
“Does this nutritious meal program reduce education programs? I answer, no. In fact, there are no strategic education programs from the previous period that are no longer running,” he said.
He emphasized that the education budget remains at 20 percent of the APBN or IDR 769.1 trillion and has been agreed upon by the government and the Indonesian House of Representatives.*