1,030 MBG Kitchens Temporarily Suspended
As many as 1,030 nutritional fulfilment service units (SPPG) have been temporarily suspended. President Prabowo Subianto stated that this step does not mean stopping the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme.
Prabowo said this policy is part of efforts to improve the quality of services to the public. The decision was taken after direct checks following various inputs and criticisms regarding the implementation of MBG in the field.
“I checked directly. I called the head of BGN and kept cross-checking. I think, if I’m not mistaken, out of tens of thousands of kitchens, we have closed more than a thousand. The suspended ones are 1,030,” Prabowo said during a question-and-answer session with journalists and experts at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, quoted from detikFinance on Friday (20/3/2026).
In addition, the government is also beginning to implement a strict standardisation and certification system for all MBG kitchens. Each kitchen is required to meet criteria for cleanliness, food safety, water quality, and processing processes in accordance with standards. Kitchens that do not meet the requirements will be immediately suspended until improvements are made.
The government is also opening a public oversight mechanism by providing reporting access for the public, schools, or parents to monitor and report on the programme’s implementation in the field. Prabowo emphasised that transparency and public involvement are key to ensuring the MBG programme runs cleanly and on target.
“Anyone can check. School principals, parents, and the surrounding community can enter and complain,” stressed the Chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).
Prabowo also emphasised the importance of building a new culture in programme governance, namely abandoning practices of reporting that do not match facts. Going forward, the government will continue to strengthen oversight, improve the system, and ensure the MBG programme truly provides real benefits in improving public nutrition quality, especially for children.
“Reports that are just good-sounding are not a good culture. We must dare to face reality,” said Prabowo.