Dadan Hindayana

Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) faced a governance crisis leading to the dismissal of its chief and two deputies in June, followed by a surprise raid. The turmoil highlights issues with the free meals program turning into a patronage problem.

Indonesia's free meals program, plagued by governance issues and food poisoning, faces political risks as corruption charges lead to arrests of former officials overseeing the scheme. Prabowo Subianto dismissed three ex-officials linked to the corruption case.

Indonesia arrested the head of the National Nutrition Agency and two officials in a corruption investigation tied to a free-meals program. The program, aimed at combating malnutrition, faced criticism for high costs and food poisoning cases, with allegations that unauthorized foundations were approved through manipulated systems to receive government funds.

Indonesian officials arrested the former head of the free school meals programme, linked to mass food poisonings and corruption claims, a day after he was fired. The programme was a flagship policy of President Prabowo Subianto’s 2024 election campaign.

Indonesian investigators searched the National Nutrition Agency offices following the president's dismissal of its head, Dadan Hindayana, over issues with standard operating procedures and food quality in the free meals program. The program, criticized for high costs and food poisoning cases, aims to provide meals to 90 million people but faces logistical and financial challenges.

Indonesian investigators searched the National Nutrition Agency's offices after President Prabowo Subianto fired the agency's chief over issues with the free meals program. The program, criticized for high costs and food poisoning cases, aims to provide meals to 90 million children and pregnant women but faces logistical and financial challenges.