53 SPPG Kitchens in Batam Resume Operations After Budget Disbursement

A total of 53 Nutritional Service Fulfilment Units (SPPG) in Batam, Riau Islands, which had temporarily suspended the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) due to a delay in budget disbursement, have now resumed operations. Batam SPPG Regional Coordinator Defri Frenaldi confirmed on Friday that all MBG kitchens that had previously halted have received additional operational funds and are once again serving beneficiaries. “Alhamdulillah, it is done. All budgets have been topped up and the kitchens that had temporarily stopped are all operational again,” Defri said. According to him, the operational funds for the 53 SPPGs were disbursed on Monday, 15 June, enabling all the affected kitchens to resume normal activities. Combined with the 86 kitchens that had been operating smoothly, a total of 139 SPPGs in Batam are now actively delivering MBG services. Previously, the 53 SPPGs in Batam had suspended operations while awaiting the transfer of funds to each kitchen’s Virtual Account. Regarding the cause of the disbursement delay, Defri admitted he had not yet received a detailed explanation from the central government. “They said it was a technical issue,” Defri stated. Defri also announced that MBG services in Batam will follow the school holiday schedule, which runs from 29 June to 20 July 2026. He explained that the 3B group will stop receiving MBG services in line with the kitchen operational halt. “For example, if a kitchen serves a school until 29 June, that will also be the last day of service for the 3B group in that kitchen’s working area,” the Batam SPPG Regional Coordinator said. As of June 2026, 78 out of the 139 SPPG kitchens in Batam have obtained the Hygiene and Sanitation Feasibility Certificate (SLHS) as part of meeting the operational standards for MBG services.