TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Here are the highlights: White House Experts Are Studying Indonesia's MBG Program, Says Prabowo; Indonesia's IHSG Plunges, Danantara CIO: A Good Time to Buy; and Despite JCI Drop, Danantara Eyes Stocks with Strong Basics.
The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:
1. White House Experts Are Studying Indonesia's MBG Program, Says Prabowo
President Prabowo Subianto has claimed that Indonesia’s free nutritious meal program, known as MBG, has attracted attention from other countries.
He said experts from the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump are studying the initiative.
“Just yesterday, experts from the White House were studying our MBG,” Prabowo said while delivering a briefing during the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of the Central and Regional Governments in Sentul, Bogor, West Java, on Monday, February 2, 2026.
He added that around four months ago, he received a delegation from the Rockefeller Institute. “They came to me and said that free nutritious meals are the best investment a country can make,” Prabowo said.
The Head of State stated that within a year of its implementation, the MBG program has reached 60 million beneficiaries. He also claimed that the program’s success rate is nearly perfect at 99.99 percent.
2. Indonesia's IHSG Plunges, Danantara CIO: A Good Time to Buy
Chief Investment Officer of Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara, Pandu Sjahrir, said he is not worried about the decline in Indonesia’s composite stock price index (IHSG) at the opening and first session of trading on Monday, February 2, 2026.
Despite the decrease, Pandu highlighted positive aspects in the early trading session, particularly noting that foreign investors were buying shares in fundamentally strong companies.
“From a trading perspective, the index has dipped slightly, but the positive aspect can be seen in net foreign purchases in the first half,” Pandu said at the Indonesia Stock Exchange building in Jakarta.
He explained that fundamental stocks have been the main focus of foreign investors, appearing among the top 10 purchases and top 15 sales. For this reason, he said the weakening of these stocks should not be a cause for concern.
3. Despite JCI Drop, Danantara Eyes Stocks with Strong Basics
The Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara) remains interested in investing in stocks with sound fundamentals, despite the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) plunging.
Danantara's Chief Investment Officer, PanduSjahrir, stated that investments are also focused on companies with attractive valuations, strong cash flow, and adequate liquidity.
"We remain confident in Indonesia's economic prospects and the attractive valuations of domestic assets," he said in a written statement on Monday, February 2, 2026.
Danantara, Pandu stated, supports the acceleration of capital market structure strengthening in collaboration with stakeholders by prioritizing increased information transparency and strengthened governance. Furthermore, deepening technical and implementation details is a crucial part of this process.
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