BGN to Audit All Free Nutritious Meal Kitchens, Halt Distribution During School Holidays

Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Agustina Arumsari stated that the agency will utilise the school holiday period to audit all Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) kitchens. One of the steps being taken is halting distribution during the school holiday period.

“Internally, our BGN will also carry out a transformation. Starting from human resources, governance, and data — data is extremely important because, frankly, I have seen since I first arrived that it is impossible to make policy without clear data. That is what we are still improving,” Arum said after a closed meeting with House of Representatives Commission IX in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (15/6/2026).

Arum said the agency will use the school holiday moment to improve MBG governance. The target, she said, is for the MBG programme to be in better shape when children return to school.

“So please be patient, but our targets have been communicated — what we aim to achieve in one month, and perhaps in the next three months. But clearly, we are also seizing the momentum of the school holidays. We will stop everything, we will audit all kitchens, so that hopefully when the children go back to school, we will be in a better position and conditions on the ground will be more orderly,” she added.

She mentioned that the BGN’s Data and Information Centre team will coordinate with relevant parties to evaluate the National Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). Arum stressed that MBG is a priority programme of President Prabowo Subianto.

“And especially regarding the data issue, I am closely monitoring our Data and Information Centre colleagues, and we have also begun coordinating with parties that actually already possess the data. Perhaps in the past there were versions saying, ‘BGN did not want to accept our data,’ or conversely, ‘They did not provide it.’ Now, I am confident that because this is a priority programme, ministries and agencies will support us,” she said.

She confirmed that the overhaul of MBG will be carried out during the school holidays and distribution will be temporarily halted.

“Yes, stopped. For the duration of the school holidays, while we make improvements,” Arum asserted when asked again about the suspension of distribution during the school break.

Deputy Head of BGN Trenggono, standing beside Arum, also chimed in. “The schools are on holiday,” Trenggono said.