492 Nutrition Service Units in Sumatra Region Not Yet Registered for SLHS Temporarily Closed

Some 492 Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) in the Sumatra region have been temporarily closed or suspended from 9 March 2026, with no definite end date. The move was taken by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) after hundreds of kitchens had not yet registered the Certificate of Hygiene and Sanitation (SLHS).

Harjito, Director of Monitoring and Oversight for Region I, said the suspension is a corrective measure to uphold safety and feasibility standards for kitchens operating under the Gratis Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. ‘The suspension is a corrective step to ensure all operating kitchens truly meet health and food safety standards,’ he told journalists in Jakarta on Saturday, 7 March.

Harjito emphasised that the rule applies to kitchens that have been operating for more than 30 days but have not registered SLHS. ‘We are giving all SPPG operators the opportunity to complete the administrative and sanitation requirements. After the SLHS registration and verification are completed, operations may reopen,’ he said.

Data as at 11:00 on 7 March 2026 show that there are 492 SPPG in Sumatra that have not registered SLHS. The figure is based on reports from the Regional Coordinator for Sumatra, who has been directly monitoring MBG kitchen operations in each province.

Provinces with the highest number of unregistered SPPG are: North Sumatra with 252 kitchens; Lampung with 77; Aceh with 76; West Sumatra with 69; Riau with 9; Riau Islands with 5; and Bengkulu with 4. Meanwhile, Jambi, South Sumatra, and Bangka Belitung Islands are recorded as having no unregistered kitchens.

Harjito added that the suspension policy is part of strengthening quality oversight of services in the MBG programme, which targets addressing the nutrition needs of the public, especially schoolchildren. ‘This programme concerns public health, so food safety standards cannot be negotiated,’ he insisted.

Harjito urged all affected SPPG operators to immediately coordinate with the local health offices to speed the SLHS registration process. ‘We hope SPPG can promptly complete the required documents so that services can resume and the MBG benefits continue to reach the public,’ he concluded.