Post by : Shakul

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has dismissed the head of the National Nutrition Agency, which is responsible for overseeing the country’s flagship free school meals programme worth around US$20 billion. The decision comes amid growing concerns over governance standards and food quality issues within the large-scale welfare initiative.

State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi confirmed the removal, stating that the decision followed an internal evaluation of the agency’s overall performance since the programme began in January 2025. The government said it identified several operational weaknesses, particularly in administration discipline and food safety supervision.

According to officials, the agency had struggled to maintain consistent governance standards and ensure proper food quality control across its nationwide distribution network. These shortcomings raised serious concerns within the administration, especially given the programme’s scale and its direct impact on millions of schoolchildren.

The leadership change sees agency chief Dadan Hindayana replaced by his deputy, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang. Deyang, a former journalist and member of Prabowo’s 2024 election campaign team, is expected to take over operational responsibilities and restore oversight standards within the organisation.

Authorities highlighted that issues such as procedural discipline and monitoring of food safety protocols were central to the decision. Officials stated that maintaining strict quality control is essential for a programme of this size, which aims to provide daily meals to tens of millions of students across Indonesia.

The programme has also faced criticism following reports of food poisoning incidents affecting at least 33,000 children as of April, according to monitoring groups. These incidents intensified scrutiny over the implementation and safety standards of the initiative, placing additional pressure on the government to act.

In addition to governance concerns, the programme has drawn attention from investors and fiscal analysts due to its massive cost. The government has allocated approximately 268 trillion rupiah (around US$15 billion) for the initiative this year, although this figure was reduced from an earlier projection of 335 trillion rupiah.

Despite the challenges, the programme has already reached around 62 million beneficiaries as of April 30, with plans to expand coverage to nearly 83 million recipients by the end of the year. The administration maintains that the initiative remains a key pillar of social welfare policy, though reforms are expected to strengthen oversight and ensure better delivery standards moving forward.

#Indonesia News #Politics #Governance #Food Safety