Sudaryono: Free Nutritious Meal Programme is President Prabowo's Political Tender
The newly appointed Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Sudaryono, has responded to criticism urging the termination of the free nutritious meal (MBG) programme. According to Sudaryono, he will accept criticism of the programme but will not halt it.
“The nutritious meal programme is President Prabowo’s political tender. It was planned well in advance, presented during the campaign, and he was subsequently elected president,” Sudaryono said after his first meeting at the agency’s office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.
Therefore, Sudaryono stated that what the agency can do is improve governance, provide good and safe nutrition, and deliver a positive impact on the economy, especially in villages. “This is a programme from the people and will be given to the people. Once again, we are listening. I am listening, we are listening,” he said.
Following his inauguration at the Presidential Palace, Sudaryono stressed that he has no personal interest in the nutritious meal programme. He stated that he does not own a communal kitchen or a nutrition fulfilment service unit (SPPG) that receives government incentives to provide MBG to schools.
“None, I do not have an SPPG. I do not own a kitchen. No one in my family owns a kitchen,” he said.
Sudaryono acknowledged that there are still problems in the implementation of the MBG programme. One of these relates to an alleged corruption case involving Dadan Hindayana, the former head of the agency, and several other former senior officials. “We have witnessed violations in governance that were not transparent,” he said.
Sudaryono was appointed to replace the previous Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Nanik S. Deyang, who resigned for health reasons. Nanik stated she was grateful to have assisted President Prabowo with the free nutritious meal programme after supporting him for over a decade. “Having followed him for fourteen years, I know for certain that the MBG programme is not for political purposes as some have accused,” she wrote on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.