Dian Rahma Fika Alnina, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has allocated Rp5.7 billion (about US$350,000) to subscribe to Zoom meeting licenses from April to December 2026, citing the need for large-scale coordination in implementing its Free Nutritious Meal program (MBG).
BGN head Dadan Hindayana said the budget is intended to support coordination across central and regional stakeholders, including the delivery of technical guidance and program outreach.
"To support the implementation of the free nutritious meal program, which requires extensive coordination, consistent technical guidance, and education for various stakeholders," Dadan said in a statement published on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
The video conferencing service will be managed by BGN's Data and Information Center, with capacity for 5,000 active users and up to 50,000 participants in a single virtual session.
According to Dadan, the platform will be used across all levels of the agency – from senior and mid-level officials to heads of local nutrition service units.
He said effective coordination is crucial to the success of the MBG program, including policy dissemination, technical guidance, training for implementers, and program evaluation. The Rp5.7 billion allocation, he added, is considered necessary to support nine months of large-scale virtual coordination.
"With this capacity, BGN can reach tens of thousands of participants at once, including implementers in various regions who require direct guidance from the central government," he said.
Dadan also noted that a high-capacity digital communication system is essential to ensure consistent messaging across all levels of implementation. The program, a priority initiative of Prabowo Subianto, involves multiple stakeholders nationwide.
"We want to ensure that messages, directives, and implementation guidelines are fully understood by all implementers. This is part of maintaining the quality of program execution," he said.
Budget draws public scrutiny
The allocation has sparked public debate after details of the procurement surfaced on social media via the account @voxarea. Data from Inaproc, Indonesia's centralized government procurement portal managed by the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP), showed a Zoom license rental budget of around Rp5.79 billion.
Critics have questioned the figure, noting that it appears significantly higher than standard subscription prices listed on Zoom's official website.
For example, a Pro license costs around Rp226,000 per month for meetings with up to 100 participants, while a Business plan costs about Rp249,000 per month for up to 300 participants. Pricing for enterprise-level plans is not publicly disclosed.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2100347/bgn-defends-rp5-7-billion-zoom-budget-for-free-meal-progra