Prabowo Subianto has prioritized stringent budget efficiency measures since the inception of his presidency. In 2024 alone, he reported significant savings, exceeding Rp 300 trillion.
These substantial budget efficiencies, Prabowo revealed, are being strategically redirected and maximized to fund the vital Free Nutritious Meal (Makan Bergizi Gratis – MBG) program. “We will continue these efforts through the end of 2025, and we are already seeing the positive outcomes of these savings. This very money, these significant savings, is what we are allocating to the MBG program and other initiatives,” Prabowo stated during the Economic Outlook 2026 event at Wisma Danantara on Friday, February 13th.
Prabowo elaborated that the substantial funds saved were reallocated from unproductive activities. These included superfluous foreign travel, excessive ceremonial events, unnecessary seminars, and unproductive meetings, which previously drained the national budget without yielding tangible benefits. He emphasized that excessive budget allocation for studies or analyses is often unnecessary, given that Indonesia’s core challenges – ranging from infrastructure deficits to persistent food insecurity – are already well-understood. Consequently, funds previously earmarked for unproductive programs can now be effectively rechanneled into more impactful initiatives, notably the MBG program.
“There’s no need for excessive analysis,” Prabowo asserted, highlighting the immediate impact of his administration’s fiscal discipline. “We have already achieved extraordinary savings in the first year, a staggering Rp 380 trillion. How many billions of dollars is Rp 380 trillion? That’s USD 18 billion. And we can do even more. We must stop the leakages and reduce waste.”
Prabowo Highlights: Over 1.5 Million Jobs Daily From MBG Kitchens Alone
Beyond its primary goal of providing nutrition, Prabowo underscored the MBG program’s significant positive impact on job creation. This can be clearly observed through the widespread operation of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi – SPPG), commonly referred to as MBG kitchens.
Prabowo revealed that each individual SPPG (MBG kitchen) has the capacity to employ 50 people. The ambitious target is to establish 30,000 MBG kitchens nationwide, aiming to serve 82 million beneficiaries. Currently, the program already reaches 60.2 million individuals.
“The MBG program has already deployed over 23,000 kitchens, and at its peak, it will reach 82.9 million beneficiaries,” Prabowo explained. “Ultimately, there will be more than 30,000 kitchens, with each kitchen employing 50 people. From the MBG program alone, over 1 million people will be working, eventually reaching 1.5 million people employed daily.”
He further detailed the program’s ripple effect on local economies, noting that each MBG kitchen is supported by 5 to 10 suppliers. In turn, each of these suppliers typically engages 3 to 5 farmers. Prabowo emphasized that this intricate network directly stimulates and strengthens the rural economy, fostering prosperity in villages across the nation.