President Prabowo Inaugurates New BGN Head, Calls for Stronger Transparency, Accountability in MBG Programs

President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated Sudaryono as Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (07/22).

In his statement after the inauguration, Sudaryono said that this appointment is a major responsibility, considering that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program is one of the Government’s strategic programs.

“I was inaugurated today and have officially become the Head of the BGN, and as of today, I have started my duties. Of course, this is a great trust for me. This is a major responsibility because the MBG Program is indeed a big, grande program and one of the priority programs of the Government,” he said.

He underlined that one of the main priorities to be addressed immediately is improving BGN governance so that it becomes more transparent, accountable and system-based. According to him, a number of issues that occurred previously serve as important lessons to strengthen supervision and ensure that all processes are carried out in an open manner.

“As the Head, I will work hard to improve what needs to be improved. What is not transparent must be made transparent. If there are still manual processes, we will find ways to make them digital, so that we can keep digital records of all processes,” Sudaryono said.

He further emphasized that the budget management of the MBG Program must be fully oriented toward the interests of the public. In his view, every rupiah spent must truly support the program’s main goal, which is to provide proper nutritional intake for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly.

“What is done in secret must no longer happen. Everything must be clear. This is a large budget sourced from the people and must be used for the people. So this is a program from the people for the people. Of course, every rupiah spent must truly be in line with the program’s objectives,” he stressed.

In addition to improving public nutrition, Sudaryono explained that the MBG Program also has broad economic impacts. He said the demand for food supplies under the program will encourage the absorption of agricultural, livestock, and fisheries production, therefore providing direct benefits to regional economies.

To maintain the integrity of program implementation, he added that all decision-making and problem-solving within BGN must be carried out through official, open, and transparent mechanisms, without relying on personal relationships or informal approaches.

“I want to ensure that problem-solving methods, follow-ups, and other issues are carried out according to the system. So we are no longer talking about trust in person, or discussing things in hidden spaces, in private rooms in restaurants. Everything must be discussed in bright and transparent rooms, where people can see it,” Sudaryono said.

On that occasion, he also urged all stakeholders to jointly monitor the implementation of the MBG Program. Sudaryono affirmed his commitment to applying zero tolerance for corruption and any form of irregularities in program management.

“Please pray for all of us so that we can uphold this public trust properly and implement this program as best as we can, with zero tolerance for corrupt practices, which are perhaps among the things most despised by the entire Indonesian people,” he said. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (EST/TM)