Incentive Rules for Free Nutritious Meal Kitchens to Be Overhauled

Jakarta – Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Agustina Arumsari, has confirmed that the agency will evaluate its institutional regulations, particularly regarding the receipt of incentives by the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), also known as Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) kitchens. She explained that in the future, MBG kitchens will receive incentives commensurate with the number of beneficiaries they serve, meaning the incentive value will no longer be a flat rate of Rp6 million per day.

Agustina added that the current regulation requires BGN to pay an incentive of Rp6 million per day to each MBG kitchen, even if the number of beneficiaries served is not at maximum capacity. “After the beneficiary data is fixed, we expect the incentive will not be a fixed Rp6 million for everyone. Previously, the rule was that even with 1,500 beneficiaries the incentive was Rp6 million, and with 500 it was also Rp6 million,” she told reporters at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Going forward, the incentives will be adjusted according to the number of beneficiaries. Agustina also did not rule out the possibility of merging the beneficiary bases of several MBG kitchens. She stated that such mergers are part of BGN’s priority to conduct a refocusing effort. “Once we know the real number of beneficiaries receiving services from a particular SPPG, the impact will be a rearrangement. We might merge them. For instance, if in a certain area there are only a few, we could combine this SPPG with that one, and so on. This process will certainly follow the refocusing process,” she said.

After determining the total number of beneficiaries for each MBG kitchen, Agustina said BGN will provide incentives based on that data. Furthermore, BGN will strictly monitor the quality and food safety standards of each kitchen. She noted that these factors will also influence the amount of incentive provided to the MBG kitchens. “Then we will set the incentive, and it won’t be the same for everyone. The model of the incentive itself will be evaluated, not just based on the output produced. It will consider how you are able to produce quality food, meeting the standards, safety, and food resilience,” Agustina stated.