Government Communication Body Denies Orchestrating Pro-Free Nutritious Meal Protests

The Government Communication Body (Bakom) of the Republic of Indonesia has denied allegations that recent demonstrations supporting the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme were orchestrated. Acting Deputy for Partnership and Media Relations at Bakom, Kurnia Ramadhana, stated that under the law, everyone has the right to express their opinions, whether supporting or criticising government policy. He stressed that the government respects both those who support and those who oppose the priority programme. “Regarding the allegation of government orchestration behind the pro-MBG demonstrations, I believe that is untrue. The government’s position is to respect every opinion, every voice from the public, whether for or against,” Kurnia said. He emphasised that the government continues to strive to improve the governance of the MBG Programme. With the new leadership ranks of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), improvements to the implementation of MBG are being carried out across all lines. “In essence, what the government is currently doing is trying to improve itself regarding the Free Nutritious Meal Programme. At the same time, improvements are also being made by the new BGN leadership,” he stated. In recent days, a number of mass actions have sprung up in several locations expressing support for the continuation of MBG. These actions were a response to student and community group demonstrations demanding a total evaluation of MBG, along with a number of other demands. Referring to a statement by BGN Deputy Head and Spokesperson Agustina Arumsari on Thursday (18/6), the BGN has decided that Service Units for Nutritional Fulfilment (SPPG) will not receive incentives during the school holiday period, in line with the temporary suspension of MBG distribution during the school holidays. This measure was taken to support the structuring and standardisation of the programme’s governance. She said the policy also impacts budget efficiency. Based on BGN data, the number of operational SPPGs has reached 27,820 units. Assuming the suspension of incentives at a rate of Rp6 million per day over an 18-day holiday period, the BGN estimates the efficiency savings on SPPG incentives will reach approximately Rp3 trillion.