TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to oversee the management of the government's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, including efforts to prevent budget leakage in one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiatives.
BGN Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari said the agency had taken preventive measures to minimize the risk of budget leakage and sought the KPK's assistance to strengthen oversight.
"As the current BGN leadership, we want BGN to become better in the future, and for the MBG program to improve as well," Agustina said at the KPK headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday, July 7.
According to Agustina, the request for supervision was submitted to the KPK's Directorate of Prevention and Monitoring. She said the anti-corruption agency had also provided 10 recommendations to address potential vulnerabilities in the implementation of the MBG program.
"Those 10 recommendations are aimed at improving the MBG program," she said.
KPK Flags Governance Risks
The request follows the KPK's earlier assessment that the regulatory framework governing the MBG program falls short of the standards needed to manage a nationwide initiative, particularly in planning, implementation, and coordination among ministries, agencies, and regional governments.
"The scale of the program and its budget has not been matched by an adequate regulatory framework, governance system, and monitoring mechanism," the KPK said in its 2025 Annual Report, released on April 17, 2026.
According to the KPK, weaknesses in the program's regulatory framework create risks related to accountability, conflicts of interest, inefficiency, and potential corrupt practices.
The commission also warned that implementing the program through government assistance mechanisms could create additional risks, including longer bureaucratic processes, opportunities for rent-seeking, and reduced budget efficiency due to operational and rental costs.
Concerns Over Centralized Implementation
The KPK further criticized the centralized approach adopted by BGN, arguing that it could marginalize the role of regional governments and weaken checks and balances in selecting implementation partners, determining kitchen locations, and conducting oversight.
"The high potential for conflicts of interest in determining SPPG partners or kitchens stems from centralized authority and unclear standard operating procedures," the report said.
The anti-graft agency also highlighted a lack of transparency and accountability in the verification and validation of partner foundations, the selection of kitchen locations, and financial reporting. It noted that several kitchens failed to meet technical standards for nutrition service units, contributing to food poisoning incidents reported in several regions.
In addition, the KPK said food safety oversight remains inadequate, arguing that the MBG program has not sufficiently involved local health offices and the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) in accordance with their respective mandates.
The commission also noted the absence of clear short- and long-term performance indicators for the program, adding that its implementation has yet to adequately measure beneficiaries' nutritional status or academic performance.
Read: How DPR Plans to Cut 2027 MBG Budget to Rp174 Trillion
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