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View all search resultsPurbaya hits out at plan to ‘return’ idle meal funds
The finance minister said the funds have not been allocated yet, so there was no real money to be returned, while urging better absorption in the free meals program.
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Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa addresses reporters’ questions at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
(BPMI Setpres/Kris)
F
inance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has called for improved budget absorption for the free nutritious meals (MBG) program, after the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees the initiative, revealed plans to return unspent funds amid slow spending.
BGN head Dadan Hindayana said the agency would “return” part of the Rp 71 trillion (US$4.27 billion) allocation from the 2025 state budget and an additional Rp 100 trillion in “standby funds” that became available following budget cuts earlier this year.
“Of the total, Rp 99 trillion is [expected to] be absorbed [by the end of the year], while Rp 70 trillion will be returned to the President of the Republic of Indonesia because it’s unlikely to be absorbed this year,” Dadan said in a statement published on Monday.
Responding to this, Purbaya dismissed the idea of “returning the funds”.
“No, from what I know, BGN [plans to] return Rp 100 trillion from the additional budget they had previously requested, but it actually hasn’t been allocated yet, so there is not any real money to be returned,” he told reporters on Tuesday, adding that he would continue monitoring the budget absorption.
“The program is good, we must push for better absorption. I’ll review the progress through the end of October.”
Budget absorption for the MBG program remains sluggish, with only Rp 20.6 trillion spent as of Oct. 3, far below the Rp 171 trillion allocated. The initiative’s reach has also lagged, covering just 31.2 million beneficiaries through 10,572 nutrition units, compared with the government’s ambitious targets of 82.9 million recipients and 32,000 units this year.
