Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa warned that the government will cut the budget for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program if spending remains unabsorbed by the end of October 2025.

“I will assess it until the end of October. If by then I see several trillion rupiah still unused until December, I’ll withdraw the funds,” he said  on Tuesday (7/10/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

Minister Purbaya explained that any unspent MBG funds will be reallocated to other government programs deemed more ready to utilize the budget. “If the money sits idle, I’ll redirect it to programs that are more prepared,” he added.

Earlier, National Economic Council Chair Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan urged the finance minister not to reallocate the MBG budget, noting that absorption by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has recently improved. Luhut emphasized that the program’s spending cycle can positively impact the national economy through increased local consumption and food distribution.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)