MBG Saturday Removed, Government Claims Savings of Rp50 Trillion a Year

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Finance Juda Agung said the elimination of the distribution of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program on Saturday could save the state budget of around Rp. 1 trillion per day.

Juda explained that the policy was part of the sharpening or refocusing of government spending so that priority programs could run more efficiently and accurately.

"MBG, for example, which used to give free lunch on Saturdays, has now been eliminated. One day it can save one trillion," Juda said, quoted by Antara, Monday, April 27.

He added that the policy was considered more rational because students did not need to attend school just to receive food.

According to him, if calculated in one month, the savings could reach around Rp. 4 trillion. In one year, budget efficiency is estimated to reach around Rp. 50 trillion.

"Four times a month can save or save Rp. 4 trillion. A year, of course, we can save around Rp. 50 trillion," he said.

In addition to the removal on Saturday, the government also stopped distributing MBG during the school holidays as part of the program adjustment.

Juda emphasized that the government would continue to carry out priority programs, but with a more targeted and quality approach.

"This is a refocusing or sharpening. We will continue to carry out existing priority programs with higher quality and sharper," he said.

He also conveyed that the government was evaluating the nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG) that did not meet the nutritional standards. Units that do not comply with the provisions will be temporarily suspended.

Furthermore, Juda said that the sharpening of state spending was carried out to keep the State Budget (APBN) deficit under control amid global oil price pressures.

The government, he said, also held off on raising the price of subsidized fuel to maintain people's purchasing power, even though it had an impact on increasing the burden of subsidies.

For this reason, the government is controlling spending while optimizing state revenues, including through the coretax tax system and the potential from rising commodity prices such as coal and crude palm oil (CPO).