House Commission IX Urges BGN to Provide Certainty on Free Nutritious Meal Kitchen Moratorium

The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission IX, Yahya Zaini, has urged the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) not to prolong the moratorium on constructing new kitchens for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. He encouraged that kitchens already built and meeting the criteria should be prioritised for continuation. Yahya stated that three policies have been implemented under the BGN’s new leadership: the kitchen moratorium, a refocusing of beneficiaries, and budget efficiency. ‘Regarding the moratorium on new kitchens, Commission IX has held a hearing with MBG partners consisting of various associations and consortiums,’ Yahya told reporters on Sunday (19/7/2026). ‘Their aspiration is that the BGN must act fairly and treat them equally, because they officially received approval to cooperate with the BGN to build kitchens and have obtained an ID. Their cooperation is institutionally valid with the BGN, not a personal arrangement,’ he continued. Yahya noted that the partners have already made investments for the construction of MBG kitchens, with some even having to borrow funds from banks or sell assets to finance the development. ‘They have also spent money to maintain and care for the completed buildings. They have invested, so they must be appreciated and considered by the BGN,’ he said. The Golkar Party politician requested that the BGN provide a clear time limit during the moratorium period and conduct an evaluation of which kitchens can still have their cooperation continued. ‘The BGN must have a time limit for the moratorium as well as conduct an evaluation and make a classification of which kitchens can still have their cooperation continued,’ he explained. ‘Kitchens that already have an SPPI and a virtual account must be prioritised for continuation. Secondly, kitchens that have been fully built also need to be prioritised. The BGN should not prolong the moratorium because this concerns certainty,’ he added. Yahya further stated that the MBG programme is one funded by the public, and the cooperation with the community is institutionally official with the BGN. He also urged that the construction of MBG kitchens in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions be given attention, noting that around 2,000 kitchens have been completed but are now hindered by the moratorium policy. ‘The construction of kitchens in 3T areas needs to be prioritised for continuation. Information suggests there are 2,000 kitchens that have been built but are now constrained by the moratorium. Their cooperation must be prioritised for continuation,’ he said. Previously, Deputy Head of the BGN, Trenggono, asked MBG service unit (SPPG) partners for time, explaining that the agency needs to reorganise and restructure the programme. He acknowledged the various complaints from SPPG partners following the moratorium but stressed the temporary suspension would not be permanent. ‘Yesterday, partners came here to voice their concerns. We clearly answered that this temporary suspension is not forever, it is just a temporary halt,’ Trenggono told reporters after a meeting at the parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (17/7). He appealed to SPPG partners to give the agency time, as the BGN is currently focusing on reorganising the approximately 27,000 SPPGs already established across various regions. ‘Please give us time to reorganise. We will recheck and restructure these 27,000 plus units. The same goes for other SPPGs, such as those in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions. Please give us time to arrange everything,’ he explained.