Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2013 Indonesia\u2019s National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has\npermanently closed more than 2,000 kitchens in the Free Nutritious Meals\n(MBG) programme after they were found not to meet hygiene and sanitation\nrequirements. The closures form part of efforts to improve governance\nand oversight of the programme.<\/p>\n
BGN head Sudaryono said the closures targeted kitchens that did not\nmeet eligibility requirements, including those without a Sanitation and\nHygiene Fitness Certificate (SLHS).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe close those without an SLHS. In fact, we have permanently closed\nmore than 2,000 kitchens over hygiene and sanitation issues,\u201d Sudaryono\nsaid in Jakarta on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He said improvements were needed because previous oversight had been\ninadequate, while thousands of kitchens operated with inconsistent\nstandards for buildings, staffing, food procurement and service.<\/p>\n
In Cirebon, he said, one kitchen had bought cooked quail eggs that\nwere already peeled, making it impossible to verify their preparation\nand cleanliness. In Bogor, meanwhile, officials found the use of\nready-made satay peanut sauce despite an established standard operating\nprocedure.<\/p>\n
BGN has also permanently shut down several kitchens for what it\ndeemed deliberate negligence, including facilities in Karo, Semarang and\nBlora.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlongside tightening hygiene standards, BGN is requiring MBG kitchen\noperators to submit daily expenditure reports (LPDH) before receiving\nadditional operating funds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sudaryono said that around 6,100 of the 26,385 MBG kitchens currently\noperating had not submitted daily expenditure reports. BGN will withhold\nadditional funding and temporarily suspend those kitchens\u2019 operations\nwhile its inspectorate investigates.<\/p>\n
He stressed that violations involving criminal elements would be\nfollowed up in coordination with law enforcement agencies.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bgn-permanently-closes-more-than-2-000-mbg-kitchens-over-hygiene-failures-1793260504", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }