Free Nutritious Meal Kitchen Sites Balloon to 27,877 Amid Trading Allegations
The Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, has acknowledged the existence of practices involving the buying and selling of locations for Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) kitchens. According to Zulkifli, this practice has caused the number of operating nutrition service units (SPPG) to swell beyond the government’s original target.
The Chairman of the National Amanat Party stated that the number of registered SPPGs has now reached 27,877 locations, despite the government’s initial plan to develop only 21,000 kitchens. “There is the buying and selling of locations; the initial plan was 21,000 locations, but now there are 27,877. This is an increase of 6,877 locations,” Zulkifli said during a ministerial-level coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs office on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
Furthermore, Zulkifli highlighted that this expansion is also occurring in the outermost, frontier, and least developed (3T) regions. He noted that the number of SPPGs in these areas has surged to 8,617 locations from an initial target of approximately 2,000. Specifically for kitchens in 3T regions, 6,138 locations have already received construction decree letters (SK) from the National Nutrition Agency, even though only 1,700 kitchens have actually been completed in those areas.
“Once the decree is issued, investors use it as collateral for bank loans. This has jumped from 2,000 to 8,670, an increase of 6,138, while only 1,700 are finished,” Zulkifli explained.
Zulkifli stated that these findings will serve as the basis for restructuring the implementation of the MBG project. One of the primary efforts in this restructuring targets the leadership structure within the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which manages the MBG programme.
President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated Nanik Deyang as the Head of the BGN, with Trenggono and Agustina Arumsely as Deputy Heads, on Monday afternoon, 8 June 2026. Nanik, formerly the Deputy Head of the Nutrition Agency, replaces Dadan Hindayana. Trenggono and Agustina replace Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, respectively. The former officials they replaced are currently suspects in alleged corruption within the BGN and are being detained by the Attorney General’s Office.
Zulkifli Hasan did not deny that the implementation of President Prabowo’s flagship Free Nutritious Meal project is still facing various issues. “At a certain point, the President heard and made the decision to replace it with what we call new management,” Zulkifli said.
Consequently, Zulkifli noted that improving and restructuring the MBG governance will require time. “This is what needs to be resolved, so it will take about one month to reorganise this,” he added.
Zulkifli Hasan led the limited ministerial-level coordination meeting regarding the implementation of the MBG programme. Also in attendance were members of the Red and White Cabinet, including the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and the 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 Indonesian Government Communication Agency Muhammad Qodari, and Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman.