Dadan Hindayana and Others Arrested; SPPG Partners Call for Crackdown on Regional Free Nutritious Meal Corruption
The arrest of the former head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, and two of his deputies during their tenure has brought intense scrutiny to corrupt practices within the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. There are allegations that such practices extend to the lower levels of administration.
A partner of the Nutrition Service Unit (SPPG) in Central Java expressed deep concern regarding the operational conditions of the programme on the ground following the emergence of the case involving Dadan Hindayana. In testimony provided to Republika, the partner suggested that the issues are not merely ordinary operational matters, but rather indicate potential irregularities that require serious attention, particularly among SPPG managers in the regions.
According to the partner, there are indications of potential budget leakages and alarming levels of corruption. Although they could not provide specific figures or percentages due to a lack of official data, they claimed to have witnessed various issues directly in the field. “What we have observed is quite frightening. There is potential for massive leakage and corruption by the Heads of SPPG. Many of them are under the age of 30,” they stated.
The partner added that these issues are not limited to younger managers, noting that various problems were also found at higher levels within the programme’s management structure. The partner also identified themselves as one of the parties directly affected, stating that the operations of the SPPG they manage have ceased due to disputes with the foundation overseeing the activities.
Furthermore, they suspect that similar issues are not isolated to a single region, based on information gathered through a network of programme kitchen partners across various regions in Indonesia. They noted that many regional partners are facing difficulties and feeling disadvantaged, while the public focus remains largely on issues occurring at the central level.
“What is being widely reported in Jakarta today is only the top layer. At the bottom, many partners are truly bearing the impact,” they remarked. Additionally, the partner touched upon circulating rumours regarding alleged ‘kickback’ practices to certain parties, though they emphasised that such information remains unverified. “There are wild rumours regarding payments to higher-ups and so on. However, this cannot be proven yet. Nevertheless, such issues are quite prevalent in the field,” they concluded.