JAKARTA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia said on Thursday it will restructure its Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, following reports of massive budget inefficiencies leaking up to 1 trillion Indonesian rupiah (54 million U.S. dollars) per month.
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said that the financial waste stemmed from the proliferation of MBG kitchens. While the initial blueprint targeted 21,000 locations, the network has unexpectedly ballooned to 27,877.
With each kitchen drawing a daily incentive of 6 million rupiah (324 dollars), Hasan estimated the program was leaking up to 1 trillion rupiah (54 million dollars) a month in wasted subsidies.
On Monday, newly inaugurated National Nutrition Agency head Nanik S. Deyang said the country will shift the focus of its Free Nutritious Meals program to maximize budget efficiency and enhance food quality.■
