February 25, 2026 | 10:27 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Nutrition Body (BGN) reported that to date, 24,000 nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG/kitchens) have been serving the free nutritious meal program (MBG). BGN Chief Dadan Hindayana stated that these thousands of SPPGs were built through cooperation with various institutions and individuals.
Dadan claimed that the construction of the MBG kitchen through partnership schemes has facilitated and accelerated the program's implementation in the field. "Through the partnerships we have established, the nutritious meal program has been made easier, and as of today, there are already 24,000 SPPGs across Indonesia, from Sabang to Merauke," said Dadan in a written statement on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Furthermore, Dadan claimed that the partnership scheme chosen by the government to execute President Prabowo Subianto's priority program saves time and budget. Therefore, BGN will provide incentives of Rp6 million per day for each SPPG, totaling around Rp144 million per month. "This scheme is far more efficient compared to the government independently building and managing all facilities," he said.
The provision of incentives to these kitchens had previously caused a stir on social media. Agus Sarwono, a researcher from Transparency International Indonesia, questioned the provision of incentives amid the kitchen's chaotic implementation. For example, there are issues with the quality of the menus not meeting standards, as well as the prevalence of poisoning cases.
Agus, a member of the MBG Watch, believes that there are no guarantees that the kitchens are not making excessive profits from the set portion value of Rp10,000 and Rp8,000. According to Agus, kitchens have substantial discretion in determining portion sizes.
He stated that this situation opens the door to deviations because there is no certainty that the kitchen is truly distributing 3,000 portions, or if the number is merely an administrative claim. "There might be markup in the volume of beneficiaries. They may be reliably distributing 2,000 portions, but claiming 3,000," said Agus on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
Andi Adam contributed to this article
Read: Free Nutritious Meals' Budget Realization Reaches Rp36.6tn in Early 2026
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