TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan revealed that the number of Nutritious Meal Service Points (SPPG) for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program has ballooned by 6,877 units from the original plan of 21,000. Consequently, he emphasized the urgent need to reorganize the program within a month.
"The initial plan for SPPG points was 21,000, but they have now reached 27,877. That is an inflation of 6,877 points," Zulkifli Hasan stated, as quoted by Antara on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
The original 21,000 points were intended for construction in agglomeration areas. Zulkifli suspects that the sudden surge in SPPG units may involve the illicit buying and selling of service point licenses.
With each SPPG kitchen receiving an incentive of Rp6 million per day, the minister who is commonly known as Zulhas calculated that the budgetary waste for these incentives is estimated at more than Rp1 trillion per month. "If there is a waste of Rp1 trillion per month, that translates to Rp12 trillion per year," Zulhas noted.
He stressed that the government will move to restructure the MBG program within a month. "A comprehensive reorganization is required by the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and a new management team to improve this vital program," he said.
Responding to these concerns, BGN Head Nanik S. Deyang stated that the agency will take immediate steps to ensure budget efficiency without straining state finances or compromising the nutritional targets for beneficiaries.
The primary measure involves a moratorium on opening new points and kitchens. Currently, there are 27,877 operational kitchen points tracked via virtual accounts, which will be audited to ensure their service capacity aligns with the actual number of beneficiaries in each region.
According to Nanik, BGN has also temporarily suspended the registration of new kitchens while mapping out regional needs. This restructuring is necessary as the distribution of kitchens remains heavily concentrated on the island of Java.
The next phase involves reviewing target beneficiaries to ensure that nutritional interventions are directed toward groups in genuine need. An evaluation will be conducted on the current database, which lists approximately 63 million beneficiaries.
Furthermore, BGN intends to strengthen its oversight regarding service quality. In 2026, the program’s focus will shift toward the quality of implementation rather than merely pursuing scale. Evaluations will be carried out to ensure that all operating kitchens comply with technical guidelines and maintain appropriate service capacities.
Nanik concluded that the Free Nutritious Meal program is a mandate that must be executed with integrity. Beyond improving the nutritional standards of Indonesian children, the program is also expected to act as an economic driver for grassroots communities.
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