Although President Prabowo Subianto [1] has summoned several ministers and the government has issued a circular on Accelerating the Issuance of Hygiene Sanitation Eligibility Certificates (Sertifikat Laik Higiene Sanitasi, SLHS) for Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi, SPPG) in the Free Nutritious Meals Programme, we take the position that the Free Nutritious Meals Programme must be stopped, not perfected.

We assess that the Free Nutritious Meals policy has been forced through too hastily and appears rushed, implemented without adequate infrastructure, supporting personnel, and quality oversight systems. As a result, children who should be protected have instead become victims of a reckless policy. Children have also been deprived of their right to learn safely and comfortably as usual.

Not “Free Nutritious Meals” but Poisonous Non-Nutritious Food

Based on findings in the field, Free Nutritious Meals menus fall far short of nutritious food standards. Rather than providing nutritious and local foods, Free Nutritious Meals instead offers menus ranging from burgers to spaghetti or other processed foods that are far from healthy or nutritious. The head of the National Nutrition Agency (Badan Gizi Nasional, BGN), Dadan Hindayana, made the excuse that these menus were served so children wouldn’t get bored. This excuse actually indicates that Free Nutritious Meals organisers are indifferent, negligent, and careless in meeting children’s nutritional needs. Free Nutritious Meals is no longer focused on fulfilling children’s nutrition when non-nutritious and even poisonous foods are being served.

It doesn’t stop there – in the Free Nutritious Meals packages distributed by schools to parents during report card collection in South Tangerang last June, the contents included low-nutrition, sugar-laden foods such as dried snacks, including biscuits. Besides biscuits, there was also chocolate bread and one box of packaged chocolate milk and one sachet of vanilla-flavoured cereal drink, four potato snacks, and three spicy coated peanuts. There was also one peanut in its shell and fruits such as three oranges and one banana.

Findings related to the low nutritional value of Free Nutritious Meals menus have sparked controversy and blame-shifting between the National Nutrition Agency and the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). Meanwhile, local governments complain about the lack of coordination between Free Nutritious Meals implementers and local government apparatus. So when poisoning strikes, local governments admit to having difficulty responding swiftly.

In addition, the Free Nutritious Meals implementation mechanism is considered non-transparent and closed, making it difficult for local governments to coordinate. This unaccountable mechanism has worsened the emergency conditions of Free Nutritious Meals poisoning in various places.

Free Nutritious Meals Policy in Military Hands: Not the Experts

One of the root problems behind the chaotic implementation of Free Nutritious Meals is that the BGN structure is dominated by retired military officers who clearly are not nutrition experts. In this context, political interests are suspected to be the background for appointing the wrong people. The placement of people responsible for Free Nutritious Meals implementation ultimately prioritises political interests of returning favours or dividing up the power cake.

BGN itself was established through Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2024 as a technical implementing agency to carry out national nutrition fulfilment such as coordination, supervision, provision, and distribution of nutrition. However, by placing retired military officers who are ignorant about nutrition and have a militaristic leadership style, the decisions taken are not based on field data. This means decisions are made top-down without listening to or considering the situation on the ground or through discussion with field practitioners, let alone nutrition experts.

Thus, the Prabowo regime sees Free Nutritious Meals merely as a mega project for political interests, benefiting its cronies and oligarchs. Children’s nutritional and health interests are seen as political objects. This is further confirmed by the denial and dismissive attitude towards child casualties in various regions. Prabowo only sees child victims as statistical figures whose continued survival need not be considered.

Free Nutritious Meals Policy: Nest and Prone to Corruption

With an estimated budget of up to 400 trillion rupiah €24 billion) and a target of 82.9 million beneficiaries, Free Nutritious Meals is touted as a priority programme to reduce stunting and strengthen human resources. However, in practice, this policy is rife with corruption potential. JPPI explains that around 67 per cent of Free Nutritious Meals funds come from the education budget.

Transparency International Indonesia (TII), through its research, reveals several indicators that Free Nutritious Meals is rife with corruption:

– Absence of implementing regulations, such as Presidential Regulations, and non-compliance with the mandate for cross-sector implementation.

– Chronic conflicts of interest, where the implementation system is not open or transparent – from the appointment of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), BGN structure to distribution implementers.

– Procurement of Goods and Services (Pengadaan Barang dan Jasa, PBJ) prone to manipulation because it is not conducted transparently.

– Weak oversight, as a result of processes that are not open or transparent. This opens opportunities for reckless price mark-ups.

– Increasing potential for state losses, where this policy has the potential to widen the budget deficit to reach 3.6 per cent against Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means exceeding the maximum deficit limit of 3 per cent of GDP as regulated in the State Finance Law. State financial losses are estimated to reach 1.8 billion rupiah (€108,000) per year at each SPPG.

With the high potential for corruption in MBG implementation, the Prabowo-Gibran [2] regime should apologise to all Indonesian people, especially to Indonesia’s children who have become victims of the Free Nutritious Meals policy. An apology will of course never be enough – the government’s good faith is needed to acknowledge mistakes and dare to comprehensively evaluate Free Nutritious Meals implementation for the safety of Indonesian children.

Aliansi Perempuan Indonesia demands:

– Stop the MBG programme nationally until there is a comprehensive evaluation of the system, distribution mechanisms, and nutritional quality and food safety standards.

– Form an independent investigation team to investigate cases of child casualties and take firm action against responsible parties.

– Involve civil society organisations, health workers, and women’s communities in redrafting the policy so that nutrition programmes for children are truly safe, high quality, and in the best interests of children.

– Temporarily redirect the MBG budget to strengthen school facilities, child health services, and family and community-based nutrition support.

We affirm that the right to nutrition and health must not be turned into a political experiment. Indonesia’s children are not objects for policy trials, but rather the nation’s future generation whose rights to life, growth, and development must be guaranteed.

Jakarta, 7 October 2025

Aliansi Perempuan Indonesia

Contact persons:

– Dian Septi: +6281804095097

– Wanda: +6282330805954

– Mutiara Ika: +6282213587565