Jakarta — National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Head Sudaryono revealed structural irregularities within the Free Nutritious Meal (Makan Bergizi Gratis or MBG) program, involving specific foundations and internal personnel. The findings have been formally handed over to the Kejaksaan for further investigation, according to a press conference held at the BGN office in Jakarta on Friday, July 31, 2026.
Under the original concept of the MBG program, investors or partners looking to construct kitchen facilities were expected to fund the projects using their own capital. Before starting construction, investors were legally and administratively required to establish a foundation to comply with Ministry of Finance regulations and administrative mechanisms.
“Mitra kan untuk bangun dapur dia keluarin uang sendiri. Kenapa yayasan, karena mekanisme administrasi peraturan Menteri Keuangan dan seterusnya, itu harus yayasan,” explained Sudaryono during the briefing. Once created, the foundation details had to be submitted directly to the BGN for official approval before construction could commence.
Did You Know? According to National Nutrition Agency Head Sudaryono, the initial administrative design of the MBG program required kitchen investors to personally fund construction while establishing a registered foundation to satisfy Ministry of Finance rules.
Internal BGN Irregularities and Foundation Approvals
However, recent BGN audits uncovered that internal personnel allegedly approved specific foundations even though those entities possessed no capital to build kitchens. Once granted official approval, these capital-deficient foundations allegedly sold kitchen operational locations to funded investors.
“Jadi si yayasan yang di-approve ini adalah yayasan yang dia tidak punya uang,” Sudaryono stated. Investigators found that investors were subsequently forced to pay kickbacks or cuts to these approved foundations, pointing to a direct affiliation between former internal BGN actors and the beneficiaries of the illicit payments.
When partners must siphon funds to satisfy unauthorized middlemen, operational budgets face immediate pressure, directly threatening the nutritional integrity mandated for vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women.
Impact on Program Quality and Kejaksaan Investigation
The alleged buying and selling of kitchen operational points directly harms both the state and the eventual recipients of the meals. Because partners must factor mandatory fee cuts into their budgets, they reportedly squeeze kitchen operational expenditures (SPPG) and compromise meal quality to protect their profit margins.
“Karena dia harus kasih setoran si mitra, karena investor ini kasih setoran maka yang terjadi adalah dia neken SPPG, dia entah gimana caranya kualitas makanannya dikurangi,” Sudaryono noted. The Kejaksaan is actively examining these financial transactions and affiliations. The agency maintains that operations will face total screening to eliminate unauthorized deductions and ensure that meals served to children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers remain fully nutritious.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary irregularity uncovered in the MBG program?
According to BGN Head Sudaryono, internal actors improperly approved foundations that lacked construction capital. These foundations then allegedly sold the kitchen locations to funded investors and demanded ongoing financial kickbacks.
Who is currently investigating the irregularities?
The findings have been coordinated with the Kejaksaan, which is actively examining the financial ties between former internal BGN personnel and the foundations receiving unauthorized payments.
How do the unauthorized fee cuts affect meal recipients?
Mandatory kickbacks force investors to compress kitchen operational costs (SPPG), which results in diminished food quality for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers relying on the program.
What measures could effectively prevent operational kickbacks in large-scale public distribution programs like MBG?