Responding to global crisis, BGN optimises free nutritious meal programme without using standby funds

Jakarta — Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is optimising its Rp268 trillion budget allocation for the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) and has opted not to utilise Rp63 trillion in standby funds to respond to the global crisis that has forced the government to harmonise spending.

“In response to global phenomena, particularly concerning energy and its effects on Indonesia’s economy, we are making calculations to ensure we can contribute to addressing the existing crisis. We must certainly develop a sense of crisis and we are implementing measures to enable more efficient budget utilisation,” said BGN head Dadan Hindayana in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Dadan explained that the Rp268 trillion budget allocation continues to be optimised to ensure effectiveness and prevent misuse. Additionally, BGN is also reducing other non-critical activities.

“BGN has a budget allocation of Rp268 trillion with standby funds of Rp63 trillion. The first step we are taking is to optimise the Rp268 trillion and attempt not to factor in these standby funds. We will therefore maximise the Rp268 trillion. From this Rp268 trillion allocation, we are also calculating the maximum we can utilise. Once calculated, we will implement it alongside measures addressing efficiency,” he explained.

“We have temporarily closed at least 62 school meal providers (SPPG) because they were not providing appropriate menus, whether minimalist or poor quality offerings. We suspended these during Ramadhan,” he said.

Dadan noted that these 62 SPPG facilities had become a vocal minority, generating online discussion and going viral on social media, prompting BGN to immediately suspend their operations temporarily.

“Yet there are over 25,000 SPPG facilities operating normally. However, these 62 facilities with inadequate and minimalist menus went viral, making them a vocal minority, don’t they? Sixty-two facilities but they caused everything to go viral, whereas the majority operate well. So we want these 62 to become increasingly fewer, so that the reports that emerge reflect this silent majority. It must be clarified that the well-performing SPPG facilities are numerous,” he said.