Government Prepares to Operate 900 Nutrition Service Units in Remote Areas

JAKARTA - The Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency for Operational Nutrition Fulfilment, Sony Sonjaya, stated that his agency has prepared 900 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) to operate in remote areas. “Insha’Allah, possibly in less than one month, the 900 SPPG in remote areas will be ready for operation,” Sony said after the event marking One Year of the Free Nutritious Meals Journey in Community Empowerment, at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture office, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (16/4/2026). Sony explained that remote areas are not only in rural regions but also in parts of Java Island with limited road access. He responded to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to focus the MBG programme on undernourished groups and low-income communities. He said the MBG programme is fundamentally aimed at ensuring all Indonesian children receive adequate nutrition, especially vulnerable groups. “So, in line with its main objective of providing nutrition to vulnerable groups, namely pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and students,” he added. Furthermore, Sony reported that in one year, the MBG programme has achieved 27,006 verified SPPG units, with 25,000 of them already operational. In addition to requiring a large workforce, Sony said building 27,000 SPPG units requires Rp 40-54 trillion. Therefore, most SPPG units do not use state budget funds but are financed through partner self-reliance, private sector contributions, and community self-reliance. “Alhamdulillah, to date, not a single rupiah of the operational SPPG uses the state budget,” he said.