Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has returned 311.2 billion rupiah (about $19 million) to the state treasury after an internal review found irregularities in the country’s free school meal program, according to detikNews.
The agency’s head disclosed that 414 meal service units, known as SPPG, received government transfers despite their kitchens never operating. The finding emerged from a coordinated review of the program’s financial records, with the funds now fully restored to the national budget.
DetikNews reports that the anomalies were uncovered during a routine audit of the program’s disbursement system. The agency suspects that previous officials may have deliberately manipulated transfer records to make budget absorption appear higher than actual spending. By sending money to accounts linked to non-functional kitchens, the officials could inflate reported progress on the meal initiative.
The review also involved Indonesia’s Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, which held a limited coordination meeting on improving the program’s governance. The ministry’s participation signals a broader push to tighten oversight of the meal distribution network, which serves millions of students nationwide.
The BGN has not named any individuals in connection with the irregularities, and no criminal charges have been reported so far. The agency’s focus, according to the reports, is on correcting the administrative failures and ensuring future transfers are tied to verified kitchen operations.
What to watch next: whether the agency expands its audit to other regions and whether the findings lead to formal investigations of the officials involved.
