{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1798365,
        "msgid": "celios-researcher-urges-bgn-to-cancel-mbg-funding-from-grants-1781186674",
        "date": "2026-06-11 19:59:46",
        "title": "Celios Researcher Urges BGN to Cancel MBG Funding from Grants",
        "author": "",
        "source": "TEMPO_ID_BISNIS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Economy",
        "summary": "A researcher has urged the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to cancel plans to fund the Free Nutritious Meals programme (MBG) through sources outside the state budget, such as foreign grants and CSR, warning it could create new avenues for corruption. The call comes amid concerns over the agency's governance following a recent corruption scandal involving its former leadership. The researcher argues the agency should instead focus on evaluating and improving the programme's targeting before seeking alternative funding.",
        "content": "<p>A researcher from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios),\nIsnawati Hidayah, has urged BGN to abandon its plan. She stated that the\nscheme could potentially open up new avenues for corruption. \u201cWhat BGN\nis doing is still sporadic and reactive, so additional funding like this\nis actually risky,\u201d Isnawati told Tempo on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. She\nnoted that non-state budget funding sources could actually reduce the\nburden on the state. However, the problem is that the governance of the\nMBG programme under BGN remains chaotic. A corruption scandal even\nstruck former BGN Head Dadan Hidayana along with his two deputies, Sonny\nSonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung. According to Isnawati, who is also a Food\nPolicy and Health Expert at MBG Watch, the most urgent task for BGN is\nto evaluate the programme, particularly regarding the accuracy of\ntargeting MBG recipients. She said this improvement measure is more\ncritical than seeking new funding sources outside the state budget. If\nthe programme is properly targeted, Isnawati stated, the government\ncould save budget funds until the end of the year. If the Free\nNutritious Meals programme were allocated only to regions and recipients\nin real need, the existing budget ceiling could be redirected to\neducation and health spending. \u201cNon-state budget funding could be an\noption for MBG financing, on the condition that the state money\nallocation is returned to its original priority spending,\u201d she said.\nPreviously, BGN Head Nanik S. Deyang mentioned the opportunity to fund\nMBG kitchens in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions\nusing alternative funding sources. She cited corporate social\nresponsibility funds from state-owned enterprises, foreign grants, or\nlarge companies. Nanik conveyed this following her inauguration as BGN\nHead on Monday, 8 June 2026. According to Nanik, the opportunity for\nfunding from outside the state budget is open for regions not yet\ndeveloped by investors. She described the move as part of BGN\u2019s efforts\nto reduce dependence on the state budget, especially for developing MBG\nkitchens in areas untouched by investors. On Thursday, 11 June 2026,\nNanik visited the Presidential Palace in Jakarta to meet President\nPrabowo Subianto. She told reporters she would report on budget\nefficiency at the National Nutrition Agency. \u201cBudget efficiency. Good\nnews, let the budget come down,\u201d Nanik said. However, she has yet to\ndetail further information regarding the budget efficiency measures to\nbe undertaken.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/celios-researcher-urges-bgn-to-cancel-mbg-funding-from-grants-1781186674",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}