House Speaker Hopes New BGN Chief Can Improve Agency Performance

House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani expressed hope that whoever replaces outgoing National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Head Nanik S. Deyang will be a figure with the capacity to improve the institution’s performance. She therefore urged the government to promptly appoint a new BGN head to lead the agency managing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. The chosen figure, she said, must be the best for Indonesia. “Hopefully the replacement will be the best for BGN and can evaluate and improve the agency’s performance. I am sure the next evaluation will be the best,” Puan said at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Wednesday. She admitted she had only heard the news of Nanik’s resignation that morning. The government, she said, must quickly fill the vacancy because BGN is currently undertaking governance improvements. Regarding the discourse on forming a BGN Supervisory Board, she said she had not yet studied the matter in depth. However, she hopes any policy adopted will be directed at improving the institution for the sake of better programmes for Indonesian children. “We will see, the most important thing is how BGN can improve its performance later,” she said. It was confirmed on Wednesday that Nanik Deyang had bid farewell to President Prabowo to undergo heart treatment and resigned as Head of the National Nutrition Agency.