Free Nutritious Meal Kitchen Sites Balloon to 27,877 Amid Trading Allegations

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan has acknowledged the existence of a practice involving the buying and selling of free nutritious meal (MBG) kitchen sites. According to Zulhas, as he is familiarly known, this practice has caused the number of operational kitchens, known as nutritional fulfilment service units or SPPG, to swell beyond the government’s target. The General Chairman of the National Mandate Party stated that the recorded number of SPPG now stands at 27,877 points. Initially, the government had targeted the construction of 21,000 MBG kitchens. “There has been buying and selling of (kitchen) points, yes, where the initial plan was for 21,000 points, but now there are already 27,877 points. So, there is a bloat of 6,877 points,” Zulkifli said following a ministerial-level coordination meeting regarding the implementation of MBG at the Coordinating Ministry for Food’s office on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Furthermore, Zulkifli highlighted that the bloat in the number of MBG kitchens also occurred in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost regions, known as 3T. He said the number of SPPG swelled to 8,617 points from an initial target of around 2,000 points. Specifically for kitchens in the 3T areas, 6,138 points have already obtained a construction decree (SK) from the National Nutrition Agency. Meanwhile, the number of kitchens that have been fully constructed in those regions is only 1,700 points. “If an SK already exists, then the investors place it (the SK as loan collateral) at the bank, right? Yes, place it at the bank. Now, from 2,000 it has become 8,670, a bloat of 6,138, with 1,700 completed,” said Zulkifli. Zulkifli stated that these records form the basis for reorganising the implementation of the MBG project. One of the restructuring efforts targets the leadership structure within the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) as the manager of the MBG programme. President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated Nanik Deyang as Head of BGN, along with Trenggono and Agustina Arumsari as Deputy Heads of BGN on Monday afternoon, 8 June 2026. Nanik—who previously served as Deputy Head of the Nutrition Agency—replaced Dadan Hindayana. Meanwhile, Trenggono and Agustina replaced Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung. The former officials they replaced are now named as corruption suspects within the BGN and are detained by the Attorney General’s Office. Zulkifli Hasan did not deny that the implementation of President Prabowo’s flagship project, the free nutritious meal programme, is still marred by issues. “At a certain point, the President finally listened and has made a decision, yes, to replace them with what we term a new management,” said Zulkifli. Therefore, Zulkifli stated that improvements, namely the restructuring of MBG governance, require time. “This is what will be resolved, so it might take about a month to reorganise this,” said Zulkifli. Zulkifli Hasan led a limited ministerial-level coordination meeting related to the implementation of the free nutritious meal or MBG programme. Members of the Red and White Cabinet were seen in attendance, including Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Head of the National Nutrition Agency Nanik Sudaryati Deyang. Also present were Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti, Head of the Government Communication Agency Muhammad Qodari, and Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman.