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View all search resultsChief of troubled free meals agency resigns on health grounds
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In this file photo, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, head of National Nutrition Agency (BGN), wipes her tears during her inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 8, 2026. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
T
he chief of the agency overseeing President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals program said on Wednesday she had resigned, citing health reasons, the second leadership change at the beleaguered government body in just over a month.
The resignation of Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who took over the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in June, comes after budget cuts and a criminal investigation into the free meals scheme, which has been dogged by logistical challenges, concerns about quality and several instances of mass food poisoning following its launch in January 2025.
Nanik's predecessor was sacked by Prabowo last month and arrested on corruption charges in connection with the multibillion-dollar program after a raid at the agency's office.
In a Facebook post, Nanik said she has resigned to seek treatment overseas for a heart complaint.
"With a thousand apologies I must resign as BGN chief, for my health, and because the president feels sorry for me, he agreed," she said, adding in a separate post that her doctor warned that her arteries were clogged due to extreme stress.
She said Prabowo was looking into forming a supervisory board for the agency and that she has been asked to lead it.
The program is Prabowo's most important and expensive election campaign pledge, but it has been a key issue in wider concerns about Indonesia's fiscal health.
Nanik said in the post that the program was not a political issue, as some have accused it of being, but was "an intervention measure for children's nutrition."
It was not immediately clear who would replace her, but Nanik said her replacement was her junior at the agency. The BGN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Her resignation came a day after the agency said that its budget for 2026 had been cut for a second time from Rp 268 trillion to Rp 229 trillion (US$12.79 billion). The budget is now more than Rp 100 trillion lower than the initial allocation of Rp 335 trillion.
The program originally aimed to cover 83 million people, consisting of children and pregnant women. Before the review, it had already delivered free meals to 62.5 million people, the agency said.
More budget cuts are possible, it added, pending a further review.
