Civil Coalition Threatens Larger Protest at BGN Office
A coalition of civil society groups under the banner of MBG Watch sealed the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) building in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. The symbolic action was taken because the free nutritious meal (MBG) project faces numerous problems, ranging from corruption cases and food poisoning to alleged conflicts of interest.
MBG Watch member Agus Sarwono stated that the coalition is asking the BGN to temporarily suspend the MBG project. During the suspension, the coalition demands a total evaluation and audit of its governance.
MBG Watch demands the BGN temporarily halt the MBG programme. Agus said the current MBG governance is designed for rent-seeking. “The proof is that former BGN leaders have been arrested by the Attorney General’s Office,” he said.
The Transparency International Indonesia researcher noted that MBG Watch has received numerous complaints regarding MBG problems since October 2025, from food quality issues to poisoning cases. The coalition’s analysis found that several problems stem from the programme being designed to fail from the outset. The MBG programme, for instance, operated without regulations for 10 months after its launch on 31 October 2025. “We also highlight the enormous risk of corruption,” he said. “There are still loopholes for conflicts of interest.”
Beyond these demands, the coalition is calling on the government to conduct a total evaluation by auditing the programme. The evaluation should improve governance and prevent conflicts of interest. The coalition also asks the government to better target beneficiaries, directing MBG towards communities in poverty-prone areas.
Celios Executive Director Bhima Yudhistira said Celios had warned of corruption loopholes before the MBG programme was implemented, but the government did not listen. In 2024, Celios mapped four potential corruption risks in the MBG programme: procurement and distribution of foodstuffs, falsification of beneficiary data, potential corruption in fund and budget management, and potential corruption through irregularities in the monitoring and evaluation process. The Attorney General’s Office recently named former BGN leaders Dadan Hindayana, Sony Sonjaya, and Lodewyk Pusung as suspects in an alleged corruption case involving irregularities in the MBG programme’s management at the BGN for the 2025–2026 period.
Agus expressed doubt that BGN Head Nanik S. Deyang is capable of fixing the MBG governance, which has been problematic from the start. He suggested that improvements should begin by first halting the MBG programme. According to him, the BGN has lacked clear standards and indicators in implementing MBG. The BGN refers to beneficiary number targets in the National Medium-Term Development Plan, but indicators defining who is entitled to receive MBG are absent. “Meanwhile, there are no beneficiary indicators at all,” the Transparency International Indonesia researcher noted.
The coalition also questions the business processes in the MBG implementation. He said the appointment of foundations and their assessment have not been disclosed. The appointment of foundations must use an e-catalogue scheme, specifically a local e-catalogue, so that MSMEs can thrive. “In the MBG context, we have not found any MSMEs thriving around the SPPG kitchens,” he said.
MBG Watch is giving the BGN 30 days to temporarily halt the MBG programme. Agus Sarwono stated that during the temporary suspension, the BGN must conduct a total evaluation of its governance. “We are giving a 30-day window for the BGN to fix all of its governance,” he said. If there is no improvement within 30 days, the Transparency International Indonesia researcher stated the coalition will return to protest again. “We will come back here with a much larger crowd,” he said.