BGN: Rp1 Trillion in MBG Funds per Day, Absorbed by 1 Million SPPG Workers

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) states that funds flowing to regions through the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) reach Rp1 trillion per day, absorbed by more than 1 million workers in Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), primarily from extreme poverty groups.

“On average, government funds flowing to regions reach around Rp1 trillion per day. Approximately Rp117 billion is absorbed by 1.8 million workers, mainly from extreme poverty groups, and more than Rp600 billion is absorbed by rice, vegetable, fish, egg, meat, and fruit traders,” said Deputy Head of BGN for Nutrition Fulfilment Operations, Sony Sonjaya, in Jakarta on Thursday.

Sony explained that the Rp6 million daily incentive for SPPG is not profit, but an investment in community empowerment, as the budget amount will return to the community.

“Rp117 billion per day is absorbed by 1.8 million volunteers involved in distributing nutritious food to beneficiaries. These funds serve as economic empowerment for the community directly involved in implementing the MBG Programme,” Sony stated.

According to Sony, community empowerment is evident in the MBG supply chain, which consistently involves micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) up to Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes).

He urged all SPPG to continue coordinating with local governments to prepare the MBG supply chain, as SPPG needs fulfilled from traditional markets could disrupt the economic circulation that has long been running in the community.

“Local governments must start seriously and focus on preparing the supply chain. Do not let SPPG needs be met from traditional markets, because those places have been used for decades to meet the needs of housewives. Do not let string beans, long beans, eggs in traditional markets be contested between housewives and SPPG heads,” he explained.

“There are car showrooms, small hotels, shophouses, sports buildings (that have shifted to become SPPG). This means it is a phenomenon, a change in business models,” Sony said.

He emphasised that 70 percent of the funds are used for raw materials and directly enter the Virtual Account (VA) of SPPG, not through ministries or local governments, ensuring fund disbursement with full accountability.

“Fund disbursement requires two authorisations, thus strict supervision,” said Sony Sonjaya.