BGN Has Not Increased MBG's Budget Still IDR 10,000 Per Portion

Deputy Head of BGN Nanik S. Deyang (doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has not planned to increase the budget for the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program per serving next year. The cost of IDR 10,000 per serving is still considered sufficient for the program's food menu.

Deputy Head of BGN Nanik S. Deyang said the amount of the budget was still sufficient for most areas. However, he admits that some areas are already above Rp. 10,000 per share.

"We still have enough to calculate Rp. 10,000. Except for certain areas, such as Papua, Maluku, the price is indeed different, not Rp. 10,000," he said when met at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Tuesday, October 21.

Nanik explained that the budget per portion of MBG depends on geographical and economic conditions from each region.

In the implementation of MBG, continued Nanik, each regional government (Pemda) has a role in determining the MBG budget per portion.

"The local government has a price benchmark, right, we will involve the local government, we adjust the expensive ones. For example, in Java, Rp. 10,000 is enough. In Papua, it is not necessarily Rp. 30,000, there is only one portion. Now, we adjust it to each region," he said.

Nanik also explained that a budget of IDR 71 trillion could cover at least 40 million MBG program targets by the end of 2025.

"So the target that we have to complete this year is actually IDR 71 trillion, so for the 82.9 million targets, the value will be with an additional budget of IDR 351 trillion, meaning that we are indeed in 2026. God willing, in March," said Nanik.

As of Friday, October 17, continued Nanik, MBG's budget absorption based on data from the Directorate General of Budget, Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) has reached almost Rp27 trillion.

"The game is almost Rp27 trillion, that's Friday, you know, because now the addition is very fast every day. As of today, I haven't checked, maybe on Saturday I just know, but God willing, by the end of the year we have Rp60 trillion, maybe even Rp71 trillion we can achieve it," he said.