MBG Continues to Run During Ramadan

JAKARTA - The government ensures that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program continues during the month of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah with adjustments to the service mechanism for students and beneficiary groups.

The adjustment was decided in a limited coordination meeting of the Coordinating Ministry for Food related to strengthening the implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 115 of 2025 concerning the Governance of MBG Implementation in Jakarta, Thursday.

"The implementation of MBG in Ramadan will continue," said Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, January 29.

He explained that the adjustment was made so that the service would remain on target without disturbing the implementation of fasting for Muslim students.

According to him, schoolchildren in areas where the majority of people fast will receive dry food that can be consumed during breaking the fast.

Meanwhile, schools in areas where the majority do not fast still receive MBG services as usual.

For the group of toddlers, pregnant women and nursing mothers, the government ensures that MBG services are still provided normally during the month of Ramadan.

"Schools that are non-Muslim (MBG distribution) are as usual. Pregnant women, toddlers are also as usual," he said.

Zulhas added that MBG services at boarding schools will adjust the distribution time, namely shifted to the afternoon for consumption during the fasting.

Meanwhile, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana said that the Ramadan scheme had been prepared by the nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG) in the region.

According to him, the menu prepared still pays attention to nutritional adequacy even though it is packaged in the form of dry food.

"For school children who fast, they are distributed when they return from school to break the fast," said Dadan.

The government emphasized that this adjustment is part of efforts to maintain the sustainability of the MBG Program while respecting the implementation of community worship.

Based on data from the Coordinating Ministry for Food, by the end of January 2026, the MBG Program had reached more than 60 million beneficiaries throughout Indonesia.

The number was served by 22,091 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) that had been operating.

The MBG program is also recorded to absorb a large number of workers. The government recorded that as many as 924,424 direct workers were involved in SPPG, supported by 68,551 food suppliers and 21,413 business partners, most of which came from local MSMEs.

The government considers the sustainability of the implementation of MBG during Ramadan is important to maintain the consistency of meeting the nutritional needs of the community, as well as ensuring that the economic impact of the program continues to run at the regional level.