BGN Head: 1,780 SPPGs Temporarily Halted to Improve MBG Quality

SPPGs that do not have Wastewater Treatment Installations (IPAL) or have not registered for Hygiene and Sanitation Certificates (SLHS) are being temporarily halted first.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that 1,780 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPGs) have been suspended or temporarily halted as part of the supervision and improvement of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme.

“SPPGs that do not have Wastewater Treatment Installations (IPAL) or have not registered for Hygiene and Sanitation Certificates (SLHS), we are halting them temporarily first. When they have registered for SLHS but the certificate has not been issued after one month, we are halting them temporarily,” he said in an official statement in Jakarta on Thursday.

Dadan added that supervision is also being strengthened by the inspectorate to handle more detailed issues in the field. All these mechanisms continue to run with the aim of improving the quality and effectiveness of the programme in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto’s directives for 2026.

Currently, there are around 1,780 SPPGs that have been temporarily halted out of a total of 26,800 units. However, this figure is dynamic and can change along with the improvement process.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, stated that the MBG programme is not merely about providing food, but is part of a major effort to improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources (SDM).

The programme targets around 82.9 million beneficiary children in Indonesia, a large scale that he said is not easy to achieve in a short time.

“Of course, it is very difficult; 82 million—if other countries, we don’t know how many decades, but we have only been doing it for one year. There are shortcomings here and there that we continuously perfect. We must not have even one problem, because it concerns our children; the government will certainly continue to strive,” said the Coordinating Minister for Food.

“There are 1,780 (SPPGs) closed because they do not meet the given standards. So, we have started to take harder improvement steps. The closure is the harshest,” said Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan.

He urged schools to actively report complaints if they find services that do not meet standards, either through SPPGs or government complaint facilities.

“We also urge schools wherever they are located, if there is anything that does not comply, they can raise objections to the SPPG. Raise objections once, twice, three times. Here, there is what is called a call centre, in my office there is what is called a command centre. So we will quickly follow up,” said the Coordinating Minister for Food.