RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The new Head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sudaryono, outlined his agency's plans and achievements to improve the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. He said it had taken disciplinary measures and created a system to ensure transparency in the program, billed as one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship programs.

At a press conference at the BGN office in Jakarta on Monday, Sudaryono said that the measures taken so far include dismissing 261 employees for disciplinary violations. He also said the BGN permanently closed 833 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), the official term for free meal kitchens.

"As of today, we have identified 833 kitchens that we have suspended... These kitchens have been permanently suspended, and this is different from before," he said.

"Previously, suspended kitchens were still paid. Now, they are suspended; they are closed and no longer paid. These are genuine suspensions due to violations," he explained.

Among the 883 units, 98 are located in Sumatra, 311 in Java and Madura, and 474 in the rest of the country. Nevertheless, Sudaryono stressed that the closures were not due to their location, but due to established standards they break.

In addition, he said the BGN is preparing a digital system that will be launched soon to ensure transparency in the program. Through this system, parents will be able to see what food their children will receive at school and identify the production unit responsible for preparing those meals.

"Hence, the relevant parties or stakeholders can access that information, including the nutritional content of each menu," he said.

The former agriculture minister added that authorized officials will also be able to access information about the MBG program at individual schools. The public, he said, will also be able to view the density of SPPGs across Indonesia through the new system.

Sudaryono was sworn in as Head of the National Nutrition Agency on Wednesday, July 22, replacing the previous head who resigned due to health problems. He was inaugurated amid the program's governance reforms, following the Indonesian Attorney General's Office's detention of the BGN's first head, Dadan Hindayana, over alleged corruption within the agency.