KPK Reveals Many 'Shouted' Because the Budget was Reduced for MBG

Deputy for Prevention and Monitoring of the KPK Aminudin/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed that a number of stakeholders in the education and health sectors have begun to complain that their budgets have been cut to fund the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program.

This was conveyed by the Deputy for Prevention and Monitoring of the KPK, Aminudin, when presenting a study made by the KPK Monitoring Directorate regarding MBG. He initially explained that the funding source for the program during the era of President Prabowo Subianto was taken from the education, health, and economic sectors.

"The source of funding for MBG is taken from the education sector, the health sector, and the economy. This is what caused some stakeholders who have been supporting education, health, yes, to shout a little," said Aminudin when presenting his study at the KPK Media Gathering in Banten, Wednesday, May 20.

Aminudin even admitted that he had heard complaints directly related to the transfer of the budget. "I happen to have friends, yes, including friends who work in the education sector, 'how come our budget is used for so much?' That is relevant to the cost of education," he said.

Even so, Aminudin assessed that every program must have pros and cons. "Yes, that is the policy of the state, the policy of the head of government, just carry it out, the important thing is that the implementation is correct," he said.

The KPK also highlighted the readiness of the newly formed National Nutrition Agency (BGN) which immediately managed a jumbo budget for the MBG program.

"That's the next thing, why did the KPK also enter because BGN was just standing, the National Nutrition Agency was just standing in 2025 early, eh, 2024 but just standing, it was immediately given the mandate to manage the jumbo budget," said Aminudin.

According to him, the internal conditions of BGN are currently not mature in terms of infrastructure, organization, and regulations. So, the vulnerable point of governance problems finally emerged.

"Meanwhile, the infrastructure inside it is sorry, it is in a mess. This condition is very vulnerable to occur at least if we look at the governance side it will be in a mess," he said.

Aminudin said that BGN received a budget of around Rp. 85 trillion in 2025 even though the absorption was said to be only around 60 percent or Rp. 61 trillion. Meanwhile, in 2026, the MBG budget jumped to Rp. 268 trillion.

"The new institution is standing, the infrastructure is in disarray, the organization is regulated, it is not ready, it has received a large budget with a jumbo budget for 2025 of around Rp. 85 trillion, although all of it is not absorbed, only Rp. 61 trillion if it is not wrong, 60 percent is absorbed. In 2026 this is even more extraordinary, Rp. 268 trillion, yes," he concluded.