Free Meals Agency Head Replacement Was Right: Parliament

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Deputy Speaker of Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR), Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, expressed appreciation for the Indonesian government's decision to evaluate the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), including the replacement of its leadership. According to him, Indonesia's president Prabowo Subianto's decision to appoint Naniek S. Deyang to replace Dadan Hindayana is part of an effort to improve governance and strengthen inter-ministerial coordination in implementing the Free Nutritious Meals program.

“Based on the explanation from the Minister of State Secretary, there were aspects of governance and inter-ministerial cooperation that were evaluated by the government and considered insufficient. There were also several issues identified that, in the government’s view, needed to be improved,” Dasco said in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 2, 2026, as reported by the House's website.

He emphasized House's respect for the president’s decision as part of the government’s prerogative authority. Nevertheless, the lower house also recognizes the need to improve its effectiveness for optimal implementation.

“Whatever the case, we appreciate the steps taken by the government in this matter,” Dasco, of President Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, said.

Regarding the appointment of Naniek, Dasco said she has "substantial field experience" from her time as deputy head of the agency. According to him, Naniek has been actively conducting direct monitoring of the program, including shutting down kitchens that failed to meet required standards.

“From what we have observed, Ms. Naniek served as Deputy Head of BGN for a relatively short time, but she has carried out extensive fieldwork, conducted on-site monitoring, and has already closed many kitchens that did not meet the required standards,” he said.

Dasco added that the findings from these monitoring had also been discussed in meetings of Commission IX as part of program evaluations. Therefore, he believes the President’s decision to appoint Naniek as Head of BGN was "the right one".

“In our view, and considering that this is the President’s prerogative as head of the government, the decision to appoint her may indeed be the right choice,” he said.

Furthermore, Dasco stated that Commission IX is likely to coordinate soon with the new BGN leadership to learn about further improvement measures.

“I believe Commission IX will soon coordinate with the new BGN leadership to understand their plans for making improvements and for strengthening governance within BGN,” he said.

The public may perceive that the leadership change still came from within the same management, but Dasco said such judgments should be left entirely to the public. He assured that the DPR would continue to oversee the agency's new leadership.

“I think the government may have its own considerations. The public is welcome to assess whether the new leadership delivers benefits, and of course, the DPR will continue to monitor its performance,” he concluded.