Government Allocates IDR 335 Trillion For MBG 2026, CSIS: Don't Have To Be Jor-Joran

JAKARTA - The government is considered not to need to allocate a jumbo budget to realize the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program.

It is known that MBG is a strategic program launched by President Prabowo Subianto to provide free nutritious food to vulnerable groups, such as school children, toddlers and pregnant and lactating mothers.

During a speech on the 2026 Financial Note and RAPBN at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Friday, August 15, Prabowo revealed that the government allocated a budget for MBG of IDR 335 trillion in 2026.

Researcher from the Department of Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Riandy Laksono assessed that the MBG program does have benefits for school children's nutrition.

However, said Riandy, the economic impact will only be felt in the long term, such as when these children reach adolescence until they enter the world of work.

"The impact on the economy is still later after they are junior high school, high school and maybe when he enters the job. So, I don't see that MBG must be very rough right now, everything must be done now to fulfill campaign promises," said Riandy in a media briefing entitled RAPBN 2026: Considering Political Promises in the Middle of Fiscal Constraints, monitored online, Monday, August 18.

"But whatever it is, when the goal is nutrition, there is no need to be very rough. So, the potential for the mismatch can be reduced," he continued.

Riandy assessed that the MBG budget allocation should be used for others.

He gave an example such as for road construction in rural areas, improvement of irrigation facilities, massive improvement of schools and other infrastructure.

"As we have had the previous shopping channel (shopping allocation), maybe the economic impact is much better than us holding it for MBG," he said.

As of July 2025, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has absorbed a budget of IDR 7.9 trillion from the State Budget.

The amount of the absorbed budget will continue to increase. The reason is, the amount of the absorbed budget is targeted to reach IDR 59 trillion in November.

Furthermore, Riandy is also worried that the impact of MBG will not be as big as if the funds are used for infrastructure development whose benefits are faster felt by the community.

According to Riandy, the budget for MBG is the result of the efficiency previously carried out by the government this year.

"So, I'm worried about what the effects of the mismatch spending that doesn't come out immediately rather than the impact of the MBG in the real world will be like. Because we are already committed to 'all in' and have already reduced it from others," he said.