Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The civil society coalition known as MBG Watch conducted a symbolic action by sealing the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) building in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. MBG Watch member Agus Sarwono called on President Prabowo Subianto to halt the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, arguing that its current governance is designed for rent-seeking.
"The evidence lies in the former leadership of BGN being arrested by the Prosecutor's Office," he said at the BGN building in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.
The Transparency International Indonesia researcher noted that MBG Watch has received numerous complaints regarding the program since October 2025, ranging from poor food quality to cases of poisoning.
According to the coalition's analysis, several issues have arisen because the MBG program was fundamentally flawed from its inception. For instance, the program has been running without formal regulations for 10 months since its launch on October 31, 2025. "We also highlight the significant corruption risks," he said. "There are also clear opportunities for conflicts of interest."
The coalition urged the government to conduct a total evaluation by auditing the program to improve governance and prevent further conflicts of interest.
He also asked the government to redirect beneficiaries more accurately, insisting that MBG must be targeted toward communities in poverty-prone areas. "Specific beneficiaries should be shifted to areas that are vulnerable to poverty and prone to stunting," he said.
The coalition has given the BGN a 30-day ultimatum to improve its governance. If no progress is made within that period, the coalition warned it would return to demonstrate. "With a much larger number of people," he added.
Celios Executive Director Bhima Yudhistira stated that his organization had warned of corruption vulnerabilities before the MBG program was even implemented, but the government failed to listen.
In 2024, Celios mapped out four potential corruption points in the MBG program: food procurement and distribution, falsification of beneficiary data, mismanagement of funds, and deviations in the supervision and evaluation processes.
Tempo attempted to contact BGN Head Nanik Sudaryati Deyang for comment, but she has yet to respond.
President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated Nanik Sudaryati Deyang as the new Head of BGN on June 8, 2026, replacing the dismissed Dadan Hindayana. The inauguration followed the Prosecutor's Office designating former BGN executives Dadan Hindayana, Sony Sonjaya, and Lodewyk Pusung as suspects in an MBG program corruption case.
Prosecutors have named three suspects in the alleged corruption involving governance deviations at BGN during the 2025-2026 period. Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Syarief Sulaiman Nahdi stated that investigators named the suspects after obtaining sufficient evidence.
"DH, SS, and LP have been designated as suspects based on the evidence obtained by investigators," Syarief said during a press conference at the Attorney General's Office on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
Investigators have charged the three suspects under Article 603 and Article 604 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. Syarief noted that the Attorney General's Office began its investigation just last week. "The investigation started a few days ago," he said.
Following her inauguration, Nanik admitted to being cautious regarding the budget for the free nutritious meal program. She stated that financial discipline at BGN would be bolstered by Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari, another newly appointed official who previously served at the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
Nanik expressed hope that Arumsari would oversee her financial decisions. "I will not make any financial decisions if Mrs. Arumsari does not approve," she said after being sworn in by President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday, June 8, 2026.
Furthermore, Nanik stated that under her leadership, BGN will focus on budget efficiency without reducing the number of target beneficiaries. "So that it does not burden the state budget at present," she said.
– Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to this report
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2107822/mbg-watch-seals-bgn-office-demanding-end-to-free-meal-progra