JAKARTA, Thekabarnews.com—President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) to investigate potential corruption in the program. This comes amid increasing public criticism of the implementation of Indonesia’s free meals program (MBG).

The change happened after people worried about how the national priority program was being run. These included claims of improper dealings in setting up nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG).

One of the more serious allegations involves buying and selling project sites for SPPG construction.

Responding to the president’s directive, Wana Alamsyah, a researcher from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), said that the government’s response is too late. This happened because many people had raised concerns about the implementation of MBG long ago.

ICW has identified at least three big risks of corruption in the program implementation.

Second, the organization suspects political patronage in the management of foundations and the operations of SPPG. This involves political figures, law enforcement officials, and even military elements.

ICW argues that the involvement of such parties poses serious risks of conflicts of interest. In addition, it undermines transparency in the delivery of public services.

Second, ICW raised issues with the alleged markups in the SPPG construction cost.

The cost of constructing a single SPPG facility reportedly varies greatly, from Rp600 million to Rp2 billion. The report depends on its findings.

The big gap has challenged the standards for procurement and budget efficiency.

Third, the ICW reported suspected corruption in the procurement of halal certification services. The organization previously reported the issue to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The group says that direct law enforcement mechanisms, not an internal executive review, should address the allegations.

The ICW also blasted the government for assigning the KSP to investigate the matter. They argued it should have been handed immediately to the KPK.

Wana says anti-corruption investigations require independent legal authority and can’t rely solely on internal government institutions.

“The problem is not only to identify administrative weaknesses but also to deal with criminal risks that require independent law enforcement,” he said.

President Prabowo Subianto launched the MBG program as a flagship national initiative to improve child nutrition and reduce food insecurity across Indonesia.

Because the program uses a large budget and operates nationwide, the public has closely scrutinized its transparency and accountability.

Stronger oversight will be critical to guarantee that the program delivers real benefits to communities. This will help prevent it from becoming vulnerable to elite capture and corruption.

As investigations continue, public pressure is mounting for stronger institutional checks to protect one of the government’s most politically important social programs.

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