Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian government announced on Thursday (2/4/2026) that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program for students will now only be distributed during active school days to improve operational efficiency.

"We have decided that meals will no longer be provided during holidays, as previous evaluations showed distributing them over six days, including breaks, was ineffective," said  Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, as cited by antaranews.com.

The policy shift was announced after a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs in Jakarta. While students and boarding school residents will see their meal schedules synchronized with the academic calendar, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) clarified that high-priority groups, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers, will continue to receive daily nutritional support without interruption.

Special provisions remain in place for underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions, particularly those with high stunting rates. In these areas, the government may extend distribution beyond the five-day school week to ensure adequate caloric intake in line with the national budget efficiency.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)