Dadan Named Suspect in Free Nutritious Meal Corruption Case; Overview of BGN Budget 2024-2026
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The former head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has been named a suspect in an investigation into alleged corruption regarding the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. This newly established agency serves as the backbone of the MBG programme, which involves a budget of trillions of rupiah.
Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation at the Attorney General’s Office for Special Crimes, explained that the MBG programme, which commenced on 6 January 2025, requires a budget of Rp 85.7 trillion in 2025 and Rp 286 trillion in 2026, sourced from the State Budget (APBN). According to Syarief, losses have occurred that do not support the operational implementation of the MBG, including:
The procurement of 21,801 electric motorcycles totalling Rp 1 trillion
The procurement of 32,000 pairs of shoes
The procurement of 31,000 tablets
The procurement of 5,400 75-inch televisions
BGN: A New Agency with a Massive Budget
Established in 2024, the BGN initially received a budget of Rp 54.8 billion. This figure is set to surge to Rp 85.7 trillion in 2025 and Rp 268 trillion in 2026. Notably, the BGN’s budget of Rp 268 trillion for 2026 is the highest among all Indonesian ministries and agencies, despite the institution being less than two years old.
Ministry of Finance data shows that budget realisation for the MBG programme as of 30 April 2026 reached Rp 75 trillion, representing 22.4% of the initial total ceiling. This realisation marks a 3,160% increase compared to the end of April 2025 (Rp 2.3 trillion).
From the start of the MBG programme on 6 January 2025 until 3 June 2026, there have been 30,231 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). The number of beneficiaries includes 48,190,030 students, 6,716,739 toddlers, 2,181,024 breastfeeding mothers, 901,163 pregnant women, 648,758 students in Islamic boarding schools (santri), and 4,327,002 teachers and educators.
The Birth of BGN
The BGN was established at the end of President Joko Widodo’s administration as a new agency focused on managing national nutrition and implementing the Free Nutritious Meal programme. The BGN was officially formed through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 83 of 2024, signed and enacted on 15 August 2024.
The agency’s presence is part of the government’s strategy to strengthen human resource quality, reduce stunting rates, and improve access to nutritious food for students, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. The formation of the BGN is closely linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship campaign promise during the 2024 Presidential Election. Shortly after the agency’s formation, Jokowi inaugurated Dadan Hindayana as the first Head of the BGN on 19 August 2024. Institutionally, the BGN operates directly under the President and is tasked with managing the national nutrition ecosystem, ranging from food provision and distribution to supervision and public nutrition education.