Indonesia halts new 'free nutritious meal' kitchens amid budget review and corruption probe

Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has implemented a moratorium on opening new kitchens for its "free nutritious meal" program. This decision follows the detention of its former head, Dadan Hindayana, and two deputies on June 3, 2026, on corruption charges.

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So we will sort this out first.

Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who has taken over as the new head of BGN, stated that the moratorium aligns with the Ministry of Finance's directive for budget efficiency. The program's budget has already been adjusted from Rp 335 trillion to Rp 268 trillion. The agency will now focus on improving the quality of food and training staff at the approximately 27,000 existing kitchens, suspending those that do not meet operational standards.

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For example, in one sub-district, six is enough. That's it, just six.

The moratorium also aims to re-evaluate the ideal number of kitchens required in each sub-district, as the agency has observed a concentration of kitchens in urban areas while underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions remain underserved. President Prabowo Subianto has reportedly instructed the agency to prioritize these 3T areas. The agency plans to reassess the need for new kitchens after completing the consolidation and improvement of existing facilities.

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Honestly, right now, they are piled up in agglomeration areas. The 3T areas have not been reached.