TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Agustina Arumsari, revealed the budget realization for the implementation of the free nutritious meals (MBG) program for the 2025 fiscal year. At the time, the nutrition agency was under the leadership of Dadan Hindayana.
In its inaugural year of implementation, the agency was allocated a budget of Rp71 trillion. Arumsari explained that the funds allocated to the agency were not fully absorbed to cover the activities and operations running at that time.
"The realization figure was quite low, only 66 percent," Arumsari stated during a hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission IX at the Parliament complex in Jakarta on Friday, July 17, 2026.
She noted that the low absorption rate was tied to a request for additional funding submitted by Dadan Hindayana during his tenure as head of the agency. She mentioned that the proposed budget expansion amounted to Rp14 trillion.
Arumsari expressed her bewilderment at the decision to request additional funding even as the existing budget remained underutilized. "In the end, it went unspent, leaving the final realization figure at just 66 percent," she said.
Furthermore, Arumsari disclosed that the BGN still carries outstanding payments to third parties in its 2025 financial report. The unpaid bills left behind by the MBG implementing body amounted to Rp1.6 trillion.
Regarding these outstanding obligations, the largest portion stems from capital expenditure activities and asset procurement, specifically the construction of kitchens for the free nutritious meals project, which requires a budget of Rp1.04 trillion.
She mentioned that these outstanding payments would be settled using the carry-over mechanism through the 2026 Budget Implementation List. "We are in the process of revising the budget with the Directorate General of Budget," she said.
Arumsari explained that the state treasurer requires several provisions for these types of outstanding payments to undergo a prior review. This verification process is currently being handled by the agency's internal inspectorate up to the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency.
According to Arumsari, this review process is the sole reason why the bills held by the BGN for the 2025 fiscal year activities remain unpaid. "We apologize to all third parties involved," she concluded.
Read: What Are BGN's Fiscal Year 2025 Arrears?
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