Rieke Claims Moratorium on Free Nutritious Meal Kitchens Only Delays the Problem

Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a member of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), believes that the policy to moratorium the registration of new kitchens within the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme has yet to address the root causes of governance issues within the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). According to her, without improvements to regulations and institutional structures, the policy remains merely temporary.

Rieke emphasised that the temporary halt on new kitchen registrations will not have a significant impact if the problematic regulations remain in place. “Even if a moratorium occurs, if there is no change in legal rules, it is the same thing. It only delays it for a short while. After that, Article 61 remains applicable, and direct appointments can resume,” she told reporters in Denpasar on Saturday (6/6/2026).

She assessed that the primary solution is not simply the replacement of officials or legal action, but rather a thorough reform of the regulations governing the MBG programme. “The required solution is not just changing agency leadership. Investigate thoroughly, dismantle cases, and arrest perpetrators without discrimination, regardless of who the corrupt actors are, but there must be a radical regulatory reform,” she said.

Rieke also strongly criticised the high level of centralised authority within the BGN. In her view, the agency currently holds too many simultaneous functions, ranging from policy formulation to field implementation. “It (BGN) decides the policy, it supervises the implementation, it carries out the execution, it holds fiscal authority, and it manages assets,” she added.

She argued that the implementation of the MBG programme should involve more relevant ministries and agencies, such as the health, agriculture, finance, education, and home affairs sectors. Furthermore, local and village governments should be involved as primary field executors rather than mere supplements. “Then there are local and village governments. Why are they not involved? What is the purpose of the local government law? What is the purpose of the village law? The BGN cannot be the field executor. The field executors should be the local and village governments,” she stated.

Rieke is urging the government to revoke Presidential Regulation Number 83 of 2024 and Presidential Regulation Number 115 of 2025, which currently form the basis for the MBG programme’s implementation. She proposed the issuance of a new, more comprehensive Presidential Regulation under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto. “Revoke Presidential Regulation Number 83 of 2024. Revoke Presidential Regulation Number 115 of 2025. Replace them; we provide support to President Prabowo Subianto to issue one new, comprehensive Presidential Regulation regarding the Governance of National Nutritional Fulfillment,” she asserted.

Previously, the BGN temporarily suspended the registration of new kitchens for the MBG programme. This policy is part of an initiative by the new Head of the BGN, Nanik S. Deyang, to reorganise programme implementation while simultaneously achieving budget efficiency.