Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) assesses that there are imperfections in the Free Nutritious Meal program (MGB) that have the potential to open the floodgates for fraud in its implementation.
ICW researcher Dewi Anggraeni Puspitasari Naipospos stated that one trigger for misconduct arises due to the government's haste in realizing the program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto.
Dewi also questions the issues of budget transparency and MBG implementation.
"The potential for misuse from a budget perspective is high, because the governance is closed and only carried out by a handful of parties," said Dewi, when contacted on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
According to her, the government should realize this transparency through participatory governance supervision in this fledgling program.
"Involve competent parties, not those with a military background," Dewi added.
Dewi urged the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), as the key institution in MBG implementation, to conduct a thorough performance evaluation. This includes ensuring public access to information on the program's progress and results.
She also called for transparency in the MBG procurement process, covering food items and packaging, to prevent monopolies, abuse of power, and unfair competition. "It must also ensure that distributed food meets nutritional standards."
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairperson Setyo Budiyanto echoed concerns about potential irregularities, stressing the need for transparent and accountable financial management.
"Strict supervision is crucial given the enormous budget," he stated in an official release on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
The three-star police general also highlighted four key risks in the MBG program, including fraud.
"With everything centralized at BGN, monitoring at the regional level is challenging," he noted.
Setyo emphasized that the centralized distribution of funds at BGN should not lead to deviations at the regional level. KPK has received reports of reductions in food, which should have been worth Rp10,000, but only received Rp8,000.
Setyo also stressed the importance of transparent financial governance. He advocated for the involvement of the public, such as non-governmental organizations and the use of technology in monitoring budget utilization.
– Mutia Yuantisya contributed to the writing of this article.