Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, has proposed an additional Rp50 trillion (US$3 billion) in funding to ensure the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program can meet its goal of reaching 82.9 million beneficiaries by December 2025.

President Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his commitment to accelerate the MBG program rollout, aiming to reach the 82.9 million milestone by November 2025 − earlier than the initial long-term target of 2029.

Currently, the government has allocated Rp71 trillion for the MBG program in 2025. However, according to Dadan, these funds are projected to be exhausted by October or November, well before the year’s end. The total budget needed to sustain the program through December is estimated at Rp116.6 trillion.

“If we follow the current rollout mechanism, we will need approximately Rp116.6 trillion to serve 82.9 million people,” Dadan said on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

The disbursement of MBG funds is being carried out gradually based on the number of recipients. As of April 2025, the program has reached 3.3 million beneficiaries. The target is to expand this to 6 million by June and July, with estimated spending reaching Rp4.7 trillion in June and surging to Rp16 trillion in July.

In August, the program aims to cover 21 million recipients with a projected budget of Rp28 trillion. This figure is expected to climb further in September, reaching 42 million recipients and a cumulative spending of around Rp51 trillion. By October, the target expands to 66 million people, requiring Rp60 trillion.

Finally, by November and December, the program aims to hit the full target of 82.9 million recipients, with budget needs of Rp88 trillion and Rp116 trillion respectively.