Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will intensify oversight and map potential corruption risks in the government's flagship free nutritious meal program, following mounting protests over inadequate portions and poor-quality food during Ramadan.
"The agency is conducting a study to identify potential graft risks in the program so we can prevent and mitigate them," KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo said on Monday as quoted by Antaranews.
He said the assessment would culminate in a set of recommendations to be submitted to institutions responsible for implementing the program for follow-up action.
According to Budi, the initiative is part of the KPK's broader preventive strategy to safeguard priority government programs from corruption, particularly those involving large state budgets.
The commission's move follows mounting criticism over the quality and quantity of meals distributed during Ramadan under the free meals program.
To accommodate fasting hours, the government replaced its usual packaged lunches with non-perishable items such as bread and biscuits for students to consume after sunset. But reports from several regions cite inadequate portions and poor-quality food, prompting concerns over the program's implementation and oversight.
In recent days, several schools in Central Java have returned government-provided meal packages following complaints from parents about their quality.
Jumiarti, head of SD Dukuh 05 state elementary school in Salatiga regency, said the school had rejected some 158 meal packages delivered last week after discovering that some of the fruit had spoiled.
"The package that day contained bread, fish eggs, oranges and dates. The bread portions were too small and some of the oranges were rotten. The total value of the package was also considered to be below Rp 10,000 [59 US cents], as required by the Badan Gizi Nasional [BGN]," she said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.id.
She said the school had repeatedly lodged complaints with the local Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), which prepares the meals, over earlier deliveries of substandard food, but had received no meaningful response.
"Every day when the meals arrive, I inspect them first and taste them if necessary. I am responsible for my students' safety. With reports of food poisoning linked to the program in other areas, I do not want that to happen at my school. So I check everything carefully and take no chances," she said.
In Pati regency, SMP 1 Tayu state junior high school returned two types of government-provided meal packages meant for 900 students on Feb. 27. The packages included steamed glutinous rice, oranges and dates, as well as starfruit, bread, oranges and peanuts.
"When we received them, the steamed glutinous rice was already in poor condition. In protest, we returned the packages," school headmistress Sri Wahyuni said.
She added that the school had filed more than 10 complaints with the local SPPG that prepared the meals. While the SPPG had apologized and promised improvements, the school said the issues persisted.
"During Ramadan, some of the meals we received were already spoiled and unfit for consumption. Boiled peanuts were often slimy and rotten before distribution, while grapes and guavas that were no longer edible were still included in the packages. Even the steamed cakes had gone bad by the time students ate them for iftar," Sri said.
Protests over poor-quality free meals have extended beyond schools. In Pati regency, a group of parents staged a rally in front of the local SPPG on Feb. 26 after their children received rotten oranges in their meal packages.
Parents also criticized the apparent low value of the packages. For instance, the package distributed on Thursday contained one orange, one pack of bread and four quails' eggs, with a total market value of roughly Rp 5,000, falling short of the BGN-mandated minimum value of Rp 10,000.
Responding to criticism over food packages falling below the BGN-mandated minimum value, the BGN has ordered all SPPG to display both price and nutritional information on every packaged food distributed under free meals program.
"The move is aimed at preventing suppliers from cutting corners. If ingredient quality drops but the listed price stays the same, it will be easy to detect. Transparency fosters responsibility," BGN deputy head Sony Sonjaya said on Friday.
Since Ramadan began on Feb. 19, the BGN has temporarily suspended 47 SPPG across several regions after inspections uncovered food safety and quality violations. Problems included moldy bread, spoiled or maggot-infested fruit, raw or rotten eggs, expired side dishes and meals that failed to meet quality standards.
BGN deputy head Nanik S. Deyang said the suspensions were part of strict quality control measures.
"We do not tolerate violations of food standards in this program. Any issues are immediately met with temporary suspension to allow for a full evaluation," she said.
Nanik added that she had received numerous reports that several suppliers in the free meals program routinely inflated raw ingredient prices above the government-mandated ceiling and delivered substandard products, directly contributing to poor meal quality and inadequate portions.