Civil Society Coalition Demands Temporary Halt to Free Nutritious Meal Programme
A civil society coalition known as MBG Watch held a protest in front of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) office on Jalan Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (10/06/2026). The demonstration was organised to demand that the BGN temporarily suspend the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme.
Agus Sarwono, one of the protest representatives, stated that there were several demands voiced during the action. One of the primary demands is for the BGN to implement a temporary moratorium on the MBG programme for at least 30 days.
“Our emphasis is clear: a moratorium, a temporary halt, a brief pause to improve governance,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
A researcher from Transparency International Indonesia, Sarwono assessed that the BGN’s current moratorium on the construction of nutrition fulfilment service units (SPPG), or MBG kitchens, is insufficient. This is because the MBG programme continues to operate despite the existing moratorium on infrastructure.
According to Agus, there are numerous internal issues within the BGN that must be resolved before the programme resumes full operations. He noted that several individuals within the BGN itself are owners of MBG kitchens.
“In fact, one of the greatest corruption risks in the free nutritious meal programme is the presence of conflicts of interest,” he said.
Furthermore, MBG Watch is calling on the BGN to be courageous in disclosing the procurement processes used so far, including the process of appointing partners. This follows concerns that there has been a lack of clear information regarding these matters.
“Thirdly, we strongly desire, or at least want to receive information regarding, who the actual players are. There are many foundation partners who are actually affiliated with interest groups, such as political parties, members of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), members of regional legislatures (DPRD), and so on,” Agus added.
He clarified that the protest was not intended to permanently terminate the MBG programme, as he acknowledged that there are parties who genuinely require the service.
“We cannot deny that there are beneficiaries who truly need it. Our team from TII has visited schools where several headmasters have confirmed that the programme is indeed appropriate for their needs,” he said.
However, he noted that many instances of the programme have misdirected its targets. He argued that many beneficiaries do not actually require free meals funded by taxpayers.
“This means there needs to be selectivity; it should not be done indiscriminately,” he concluded.