The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has dismissed a head of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) following allegations of corruption linked to the government’s massive Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.

BGN Deputy for Systems and Governance, Tigor Pangaribuan, said the alleged scheme involved collusion between a foundation and the SPPG head to procure low-quality food ingredients at inflated prices. Tigor declined to reveal the region where the official was dismissed or the estimated state losses, citing ongoing internal proceedings.

“He was promised an additional income of Rp20 million (US$1,204) per month. We have already issued warnings to several SPPG heads, and some have been dismissed,” Tigor said during a public discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

SPPG heads are typically fresh graduates from the Indonesian Development Pioneers program, with an average age of 26 to 27. Each is tasked with managing up to Rp10 billion in funds but receives a quarterly salary. “They are responsible for feeding up to 30 million beneficiaries every day − that’s five times the population of Singapore,” Tigor said.

Despite mounting criticism, BGN has no plans to revise the existing funding mechanism for the MBG program, which uses virtual accounts. Only two parties are authorized to access funds from each account: the SPPG head and a representative from the partner foundation managing the meal kitchens.

Tigor acknowledged that the system has been controversial but argued it ensures that government funds are directly channeled to the operational kitchens. “Echelon I officials at BGN do not have the authority over the MBG program’s budget,” he said.

Earlier, Transparency International Indonesia (TII) warned that the MBG program was vulnerable to corruption, particularly through price mark-ups in ingredient procurement. Such practices, the group said, could lead to substandard food products and undermine public spending efficiency.

“The high corruption risks in the MBG program show that it should be temporarily suspended to prevent further state losses,” TII researcher Agus Sarwono said in a statement on the organization’s website on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.