Indonesia to Revise Nutrition Program Incentives to Cut Waste

Indonesia's government is overhauling the incentive structure for its Free Nutritious Meals program to curb wasteful spending. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) will replace the flat Rp6 million daily payment for Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs) with a system that adjusts funding based on the actual number of beneficiaries each kitchen serves.

Agustina Arumsari, deputy head of the BGN, stated that the current flat-rate model "tends to be more wasteful in its use of state funds." The agency is also restructuring kitchen operations and beneficiary data management. Incentive payments will be channeled through virtual accounts to enhance accountability and oversight.

“

The model will no longer be like the current one, which tends to be more wasteful in its use of state funds.

Arumsari acknowledged data discrepancies, noting that an initial review reduced the number of verified incentive recipients from 27,877 to 27,820 due to duplicate payments. The agency's priority is to refine beneficiary data to accurately determine the required number and distribution of kitchens.

The Free Nutritious Meals program, a key initiative of President Prabowo Subianto, saw its budget reduced from Rp335 trillion to Rp268 trillion this year. As of April 30, 2026, it had reached over 61.9 million beneficiaries through nearly 28,000 service units.

“

The reorganization is necessary so we can focus on beneficiaries who are truly eligible to receive the program.