Jakarta – The Indonesian government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program for five days a week while maintaining quality and accountability. The policy is part of broader efforts to improve budget efficiency without compromising the program’s primary goal of enhancing the nutritional quality of Indonesian children as the nation’s future generation.
Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sanjaya, emphasized that the MBG program is a strategic national initiative that must be implemented optimally without any room for irregularities. He stressed that all stakeholders involved carry a significant responsibility to ensure the program runs in line with its objectives.
“The success of this program will greatly determine the future of the nation, particularly in creating a healthy and high-quality generation. Therefore, integrity and commitment from all parties are key in its implementation,” Sony stated.
Sony also revealed that Prabowo Subianto has issued firm directives to prevent any form of corruption in the implementation of the MBG program. According to him, all allocated funds must be properly targeted and delivered directly to children as the primary beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, explained that the MBG program is now being optimized to operate five days per week.
“The government is encouraging the optimization of the Free Nutritious Meals program. It is now directed toward providing fresh meals for five days each week,” Airlangga said.
Despite the reduction in distribution days from six to five, the government ensures that service quality will not decline. In certain conditions, distribution will continue for six days, particularly for boarding schools, underdeveloped and frontier regions (3T areas), as well as areas with high stunting rates.
The policy has been implemented since April 1, 2026, as part of the government’s broader efforts to improve energy efficiency and state budget management. Through this adjustment, the government estimates significant potential savings.
“The potential savings from this initiative could reach IDR 20 trillion,” Airlangga noted.
With this policy, the government hopes that the MBG program will continue to operate effectively, accurately, and sustainably. At the same time, commitments to transparency and oversight are being strengthened to ensure that the program delivers maximum benefits in improving the quality of Indonesia’s human resources in the future.
