Nanik Meets Prabowo, Signals Budget Efficiency for Free Nutritious Meals Programme

President Prabowo Subianto summoned the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Nanik, who was recently appointed to lead the agency managing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, arrived at the palace complex at around 14.20 WIB. Nanik said her visit was to deliver a report to the President. She signalled that there would be budget efficiency within the BGN. “Budget efficiency, good news. Let it go down, let it go down, efficiency,” Nanik told the media on Thursday afternoon. However, Nanik was not yet willing to disclose the exact amount of the savings. According to her, the report must first be delivered to President Prabowo. “I have to report to the President first, of course I wouldn’t report to you all,” she said. The meeting at the palace marked Nanik’s first agenda since officially replacing Dadan Hindayana as Head of the BGN. She was sworn in by President Prabowo on Monday, 8 June 2026. Since taking office, Nanik has emphasised her commitment to carefully managing the MBG programme’s budget. She stated that financial oversight would be strengthened through the role of Deputy Head of the BGN Agustina Arumsari, who previously worked at the Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP). Nanik stressed that she would not make any decisions regarding budget expenditure without her deputy’s approval. “I will not make any decision regarding spending money if Mrs. Arumsari does not agree,” she had said after her inauguration on Monday, 8 June 2026. In addition to tightening budget discipline, Nanik confirmed that the BGN will focus on making efficiency gains without reducing the number of beneficiaries of the MBG programme. The measure is being taken to ensure the programme continues to run optimally without burdening the state budget. “So as not to burden the state budget at this time,” she said.