137 SPPG Kitchen Heads Dismissed Over Poisoning and Corruption

A total of 137 kitchen heads from the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) have been dismissed. One of those removed was responsible for a kitchen serving the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme at SMKM 6 Semarang, which caused hundreds of students to suffer from food poisoning and required hospitalisation.

“As of today, I, as the Head of the National Nutrition Agency, have dismissed 137 kitchen heads across Indonesia,” said BGN Head Sudaryono in a video statement received on Monday.

He detailed that the dismissals included 49 in West Java, 26 in Lampung, 11 in East Java, 10 in North Sumatra, 10 in Banten, and 5 in Central Java. The Central Java figure includes the kitchen head responsible for the Semarang incident.

Sudaryono explained that the disciplinary actions were taken due to various issues, including the food poisoning case and instances of phishing where authorised personnel claimed they were scammed, resulting in the loss of funds. “We have suspended the kitchen and dismissed the head,” he stated.

Sudaryono emphasised that the agency maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards negligence and corruption. “We have zero tolerance for poisoning and zero tolerance for corruption, ‘hengki-pengki’, or embezzling money. We have prepared a system where trust is good, but control is better,” he concluded.