Indonesia finds irregular surge in free meal kitchens
He said the increase prompted the government to restructure the MBG program.
“The initial plan was 21,000 SPPG points, but now there are 27,877. This represents an increase of 6,877 SPPG points,” Hasan stated on Thursday.
According to him, the 21,000 planned SPPG units are intended to be established in agglomeration areas. As a result, the rise in the number of SPPG points is suspected to be linked to the trading of SPPG locations.
With each SPPG kitchen receiving an incentive of Rp6 million (US$324) per day, he estimates that the budget wasted on SPPG kitchen incentives could reach up to Rp1 trillion (US$54 million) per month.
Therefore, the government plans to restructure the MBG program within one month.
“A comprehensive restructuring is needed by the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and new management to improve the program,” Hasan remarked.
Meanwhile, BGN Head Nanik S. Deyang said the agency would implement a number of efficiency measures to ensure the program remains fiscally sustainable without compromising beneficiaries’ nutritional targets.
The first measure is a moratorium on establishing new SPPG points and kitchens. Nanik said the 27,877 operational kitchen points currently registered through virtual accounts will be reviewed to ensure their service capacity aligns with the number of beneficiaries in each area.
The agency has also temporarily halted registration for new kitchens while conducting a needs assessment across regions, as kitchen distribution remains heavily concentrated on Java.
The next phase involves refocusing beneficiaries to ensure nutrition interventions are better targeted toward those most in need. The agency will evaluate the beneficiary database, which currently includes around 63 million people.
BGN will also strengthen oversight of service quality. In 2026, the focus will shift from expanding the program to improving its implementation. Evaluations will be carried out to ensure kitchens comply with technical standards and have adequate service capacity.
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Translator: Putu Indah S, Resinta Sulistiyandari