Ombudsman Scrutinises Free Nutritious Meal Programme Governance, Urges Two-Way Communication

The Indonesian Ombudsman (ORI) is urging the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to establish two-way communication with partners of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme. This step is considered crucial to ensure that policy formulation and implementation are more effective and to improve the governance of the programme, which is a government priority.

The call was made after the Ombudsman held a meeting with the Presidium of MBG Partners in Jakarta. During the hearing, partners conveyed various inputs, particularly regarding communication with BGN, which they felt had not been running optimally.

Ombudsman member Nuzran Joher stated that the institution wants to act as a catalyst and mediator to ensure that the aspirations of all parties are heard before decisions are made. “The Ombudsman wants to be a catalyst and mediator to build communication, so that we can hear the aspirations of all parties in order to make decisions that are softer and more acceptable to the public,” Nuzran said.

He explained that the input received from the partners would be discussed internally at ORI. The results of these discussions could be developed through the Ombudsman’s Rapid Response mechanism or an Own-Initiative Investigation as part of efforts to improve the governance of the MBG programme. It is hoped that these steps will produce recommendations to strengthen the programme’s implementation on the ground.

Ombudsman member Fikri Yasin noted that the institution had previously provided various suggestions to related parties regarding the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal programme. He said the aspirations received from the partners would serve as material for consideration in determining the next steps. Fikri viewed the meeting positively as an effort to improve the governance of the government programme. “The government’s initial intention is good, but the method and process need to be fixed and corrected. This MBG programme is one of the ways to boost the economy,” he said. In addition to internal discussions, the Ombudsman also plans to convey the results of the hearing to the Head of BGN and other relevant parties.