44.2 Percent Of The MBG Entrance Education Budget, DPR: Must Be Strictly Controlled And Audited

Illustration of free nutritious food (ANTARA)

The government has allocated an education budget of IDR 757.8 trillion in the 2026 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN). Of this amount, the largest portion is allocated for the Free Nutrition Food Program (MBG), which is 44.2 percent or around IDR 335 trillion.

Responding to this, Member of Commission XI DPR RI, Bertu Merlas, emphasized that the large budget must be closely monitored.

According to him, the large allocation of MBG shows President Prabowo Subianto's commitment to improving the nutrition of Indonesian children. However, he warned of a big risk if such a large fund was not managed transparently.

"The APBN allocation for MBG is very large and must be ensured to be on target. Strict supervision is absolutely necessary so as not to be misused or fall into the hands of irresponsible parties," Bertu told reporters, Thursday, August 21.

Bertu said the Rp335 trillion budget would be used to serve 82.9 million students through around 30,000 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG). He emphasized that the MBG program should be a long-term investment for improving the nutritional quality of Indonesian children.

"We want to ensure that this large budget does not become a field of corruption or is used for the benefit of certain groups. Effectiveness and efficiency are key," he said.

Bertu also highlighted the importance of adjusting the allocation to needs in the field. According to him, the distribution of funds must really touch the beneficiaries and ensure that the food served is in accordance with nutritional standards.

"Don't let the budget be large, but food is still found to be hygienic or not according to nutritional standards. We don't want to hear any more cases of poisoning or poor management like before," he said.

Furthermore, Bertu urged that the MBG program be audited thoroughly, both from the budget and governance aspects. If after being audited there are still violations, according to him, the government must act decisively.

"There should be no tolerance for the slightest deviation. This concerns the future of the nation's generation," he said.

He considered that MBG's success did not only depend on the large budget, but also on clean, professional and sided governance for children.

"Supervision must be carried out from upstream to downstream, starting from budgeting, procurement of foodstuffs, distribution, to consumption in schools," he concluded.