MBG Watch Doubts Nanik Can Improve MBG Governance
MBG Watch member Agus Sarwono is not confident that the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik S. Deyang, is capable of resolving the governance issues that have plagued the free nutritious meal (MBG) programme from the start. He stated that improvements should begin with a temporary halt to the programme. “The MBG was designed from the outset for rent-seekers,” he said after a protest at the BGN building in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
During the suspension of the programme, the government needs to implement improvements, ranging from governance and beneficiary targeting to strengthening transparency. According to him, the BGN has so far lacked clear standards and indicators in implementing the MBG. The BGN refers to the beneficiary target numbers in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), but there are no indicators for who is entitled to receive MBG. “Meanwhile, there are no beneficiary indicators at all,” said the Transparency International Indonesia researcher.
The coalition also questioned the business processes in the MBG implementation. He stated that the appointment of foundations and their assessment had never been disclosed. The appointment of foundations should use an e-Katalog scheme. “Specifically, a local e-Katalog. This means that MSMEs would be more viable. In the context of MBG, we have not found any MSMEs thriving around the SPPG kitchens,” he said.
CELIOS Director of Public Policy Media Wahyudi Askar assessed that MBG corruption occurred because the project was held by rent-seekers. Many MBG kitchens are affiliated with those in power. According to him, a change in leadership is insufficient. The reason is that Nanik is still part of the old BGN leadership. “The programme must be completely redesigned to be far more efficient. This must be done calmly, with sound technocratic principles, not haphazardly,” he said at the same location.
Tempo has contacted the Head of BGN, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, regarding this matter, but she has not yet responded.
President Prabowo Subianto previously inaugurated Nanik Sudaryati Deyang as the new Head of BGN on 8 June 2026. Nanik replaced Dadan Hindayana, who was removed from his post. The Attorney General’s Office recently named former BGN leaders Dadan Hindayana, Sony Sonjaya, and Lodewyk Pusung as suspects in a corruption case related to the MBG programme. The three were implicated in alleged governance irregularities within the MBG programme at the BGN during the 2025–2026 period.
The Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaiman Nahdi, stated that investigators named the three suspects after obtaining two sufficient pieces of evidence. “DH, SS, and LP, based on two sufficient pieces of evidence obtained by investigators, have been named as suspects,” Syarief said at a press conference at the Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. Investigators charged the three suspects under Article 603 and Article 604 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. Syarief said the Attorney General’s Office began investigating the case a week ago.
After her inauguration, Nanik claimed she wants to be prudent in using the free nutritious meal budget. Nanik stated that financial discipline at the BGN would be assisted by Deputy Head of BGN Agustina Arumsari, another newly inaugurated official. Arumsari previously had experience at the Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP). Nanik expressed hope that Arumsari would oversee her decisions regarding BGN finances. “I will not make any decisions regarding the expenditure of money if Mrs Arumsari does not agree,” she said after being inaugurated by President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, 8 June 2026. Furthermore, Nanik stated that the BGN under her leadership would focus on budget efficiency without reducing the beneficiary target.