Palace states leadership changes at National Nutrition Agency will strengthen Free Nutritious Meal programme
The Minister of State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi, stated that the change in leadership at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) will not interfere with the progress of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme and is instead expected to further strengthen the programme’s services. “The government reaffirms once again that this change in leadership will not disrupt our commitment to implementing the MBG programme carried out by the BGN,” Prasetyo said in a press statement at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He expressed hope that this step would serve as a positive beginning for strengthening the delivery of the Free Nutritious Meal programme to ensure it operates optimally. Prasetyo noted that President Prabowo Subianto decided to change the BGN leadership after conducting monitoring and evaluation of the agency’s performance for almost 1.5 years.
According to the Minister, the BGN plays a strategic role in supporting the government’s agenda to improve public nutritional quality, necessitating strong governance, effective cross-sector coordination, and leadership capable of ensuring all programmes are well-targeted, timely, and adhere to principles of accountability. He explained that the evaluation process is conducted continuously, considering input from various parties, including relevant ministries, the public, and MBG programme beneficiaries. “The President continues to conduct monitoring and ultimately evaluates the performance of the entire cabinet, including the performance of the BGN,” he added.
In this decision, President Prabowo dismissed Dadan Hindayana from the position of Head of the BGN, as well as Lodewyk Pusung and Sony Sanjaya from their positions as Deputy Heads of the BGN. The government expressed its appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the three individuals in building the foundation and developing the BGN.
Subsequently, the President appointed Nani S. Deyang as the new Head of the BGN. The President also appointed Agustina Arumsari and Major General TNI Trenggono as the new Deputy Heads of the BGN. Prasetyo hopes the new BGN leadership will immediately undertake internal consolidation, strengthen coordination across ministries and agencies, and enhance cooperation with regional governments at the provincial and regency/city levels.
“We all hope that the new leadership can accelerate the implementation of priority programmes, improve performance, enhance organisational governance, and deliver tangible benefits to the community, particularly in efforts to improve nutrition, health, and Indonesia’s human resources,” said Prasetyo. He emphasised that all BGN programmes will continue to run during the evaluation process and that public services must not be disrupted. All work units within the BGN have also been instructed to continue performing their duties according to their respective responsibilities.