Allegations Of Oddities In Procurement Of MBG Program Goods, DPR To BGN: Don't Let Chromebook Corruption Repeat

Member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Nurhadi, asked the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to provide clarification regarding alleged irregularities in the procurement of goods and services for the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program.

One of them is the procurement of thousands of laptops and motorized vehicles for SPPG which is carried out through a direct appointment mechanism, not an open auction as stipulated in Presidential Decree No. 12 of 2021 concerning the Procurement of Government Goods/Services.

Direct appointments may only be in an emergency or of small value. National-scale large procurement is certainly not included in that category," said Nurhadi to reporters, Thursday, November 13.

The NasDem legislator also urged BGN to explain the legal basis and LKPP recommendations for the decision, including ensuring that the vendor verification process is carried out transparently and free of conflicts of interest. He warned not to let the corruption case in the procurement of laptops at the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2020-2022 also occur in BGN.

"We don't want cases like the procurement of Chromebooks at the Ministry of Education to repeat itself in BGN," said Nurhadi.

In addition, Nurhadi also encouraged BGN to immediately complete the delay in paying salaries for the Head of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG). He reminded that the heads of SPPG are the spearheads in the field who ensure that nutrition fulfillment programs run effectively.

"Their rights must not be delayed just for technical reasons of administration," he appealed.

The DPR member from the East Java VI electoral district revealed that complaints of late salary payments also occurred in several areas, where the SPPG kitchen operational funds had not been disbursed and threatened to stop operating. Nurhadi is worried that if the late SPPG salary is not completed soon, hundreds of MBG kitchens cannot operate.

"If it is not transferred immediately, hundreds of SPPG kitchens next week are threatened with stopping operating," he said.

Even so, the member of the commission in charge of health still appreciates BGN's strategic steps, including the achievement of budget absorption of 61.23 percent to this quarter. As well as collaboration with ministries and local governments in preventing food poisoning cases.

"I am optimistic that absorption can reach 90 percent by the end of the year. But all of that must be accompanied by clean and transparent governance," said Nurhadi.

Nurhadi added that Commission IX of the DPR supports the MBG program, provided that it is carried out in accordance with the principles of transparency, accountability, and legal compliance.

"This program is very beneficial for the community. Therefore, do not be tarnished by administrative problems or procurement irregularities," he concluded.