New National Nutrition Agency Chief Vows Transparency Sweep to Overhaul Prabowo’s Flagship Free Meal Program

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The newly inaugurated chief of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sudaryono, has launched an aggressive reform drive to clean up President Prabowo Subianto’s signature Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program following governance lapses and food safety failures.

Speaking at a press conference at the BGN headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, hours after his swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Sudaryono committed to replacing backroom dealmaking with system-wide transparency and strict regulatory enforcement.

The flagship MBG initiative represents one of the largest social spending programs in President Prabowo’s administration, designed to provide free daily meals to millions of children, pregnant women, and elderly citizens while stimulating local agricultural supply chains. However, reports of food poisoning, supply chain bottlenecks, and ongoing law enforcement investigations into internal mismanagement have threatened market confidence in the program’s massive state spending execution.

Eliminating Backroom Dealmaking and Corruption

Addressing agency officials and reporters on Wednesday evening, Sudaryono—who stepped down from his role as Deputy Minister of Agriculture to lead BGN—warned third parties against using personal connections or his name to secure lucrative catering and supply contracts.

"Everything that was dark must become bright, what was non-transparent must be transparent," Sudaryono said during his inaugural press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. "There are no more decisions based on informal directions from specific individuals. Everything must be by system and trust in the system."

Sudaryono emphasized that he will not grant priority or special access to friends, family, or former alumni networks. "We will no longer meet in private, dimly lit rooms or restaurants. Everything concerning this state program must be discussed officially, transparently, and in full public view," he added, pledging zero tolerance for middleman markups or corrupt practices.

Fixing Food Poisoning and Supply Chains

The new agency chief acknowledged that operational flaws, including regional food poisoning outbreaks linked to the program, require immediate structural changes to standard operating procedures. Drawing on data gathered during his previous tenure at the Ministry of Agriculture, Sudaryono noted that supply chain operations and Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) across provinces will undergo comprehensive audits.

In addition, Sudaryono expressed full support for law enforcement agencies investigating past administrative irregularities within the agency, confirming that BGN will fully cooperate without political intervention.

"We acknowledge that there are governance issues, legal violations, and a lack of transparency from the past," Sudaryono stated during the press briefing. "My instruction is to let law enforcement handle the legal process completely while our internal team stays focused on fixing the operational framework."

Defending the Presidential Mandate

Responding to calls from critics and civil society groups demanding the dissolution of BGN or the cancellation of the MBG program altogether, Sudaryono firmly rejected halting the initiative, calling it a fundamental political commitment made by President Prabowo to the electorate.

"If someone calls it criticism but demands we stop MBG or disband BGN, that is not criticism," Sudaryono remarked during the conference. "MBG was part of President Prabowo's core mandate presented during the campaign. Our duty is not to debate its existence, but to fix governance, guarantee food safety, and empower rural farmers, livestock breeders, and small businesses."

The reform push received immediate backing from Vice President Gibran Rakabuming, who issued a written statement on Monday, July 22, 2026, urging BGN to maintain clean budget accountability and prioritize micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) alongside school canteens, particularly in frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped (3T) regions.