BGN Requires SPPG to Have Social Media for Public Oversight of MBG

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has made it compulsory for all Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) to operate social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, so that the public can participate in the oversight of the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG).

Deputy Head of the BGN, Sony Sanjaya, said in a podcast recorded in Jakarta on Friday: ‘Every day, who evaluates? The public directly, because we have daily instructed all heads of SPPG to create social media accounts on the platforms we have designated, namely Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.’

He noted that there are now 45,000 SPPG social media accounts serving as a channel for public evaluation, from menus and nutrition quality to prices.

‘Thus, every day they must publish what their menu is, what the nutrition quality is, and what the price is. Each week, we also hold a webinar; Zoom Meetings are interactive, which constitutes small-scale evaluation. We also conduct per-district evaluations; here are minimalist menus, so there are no more watermelon ‘fans’ (sliced too thin),’ he said.

‘If they are required to upload to social media, at least there is a reputational effect. On every packaged item there must also be nutrition information and the price; this is transparency and public accountability,’ he added.

BGN will also take firm action against individuals within SPPG who use a ruse of being misled while setting up kitchens to serve the MBG programme.

‘There are tactics of pretending to build first, then pretending to be deceived so as to ensure verification, but there are also those who are genuinely deceived. For example, someone told me yesterday, ’Sir, I was deceived; my kitchen is ready, but I was deceived, not entered into the system.’ When I asked who deceived you, if they refuse to answer or say, ‘Yes, indeed,’ then that is a modus operandi; but if someone is truly deceived, the report has now been received by the police, and the perpetrator is clearly identified. The loss in one case is at least Rp100 million,’ he said.

Sony stressed that BGN has now closed SPPG registrations, as the quota to serve the MBG programme has been reached. To date, more than 24,000 SPPG are established across Indonesia.