Bandung, Dec. 8 -- The Indonesian government dismissed claims that Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa proposed replacing food under the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program with cash assistance.

The Finance Ministry's spokesperson, Deni Surjantoro, said on Monday that social media posts alleging such a proposal "are a hoax."

He urged the public to use social media responsibly and stay alert to scams or misleading content falsely attributed to ministry officials.

The clarification followed the circulation of photos and videos on TikTok that misrepresented the minister's remarks and generated high engagement.

Since its launch on January 6, the MBG program has absorbed Rp41.3 trillion (nearly US$2.5 billion) as of November 18, or 58.2 ...