Islamic Boarding Schools Can Establish SPPG Units, Here's How

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), together with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), is opening opportunities for Islamic boarding schools to establish their own independent kitchens or Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) units to support the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Muhammad Syafi’i, stated that pesantren with at least 1,000 students can directly apply to BGN to build an SPPG. “Pesantren with 1,000 or more students can directly build their own SPPG. The pesantren foundation submits an application to BGN, and then BGN processes it to establish an independent kitchen in the relevant pesantren,” Syafi’i said at the Kemenag office in Jakarta on Monday (11/5/2026). According to him, funding for building the SPPG can be applied for through the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) or using the pesantren’s own independent funds. Syafi’i explained that the SPPG concept in pesantren is designed to be more flexible and adapted to each pondok’s conditions. Even traditional pesantren-style buffet meals are permitted in implementing the MBG programme. “It doesn’t have to be exactly like the prototype set by BGN. Regarding eating utensils, some pesantren already use tampah (woven bamboo trays),” he said. He also mentioned that the MBG serving schedule can be adjusted to pesantren traditions, including for students observing Monday-Thursday fasts. “Usually MBG is given at noon, but in pesantren there is a tradition of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays; it can also be cooked in the afternoon to be eaten at breaking fast,” he stated. Although adaptive, pesantren are still required to meet the standards set by BGN, including having a wastewater treatment installation (IPAL). Additionally, the food menus must follow the specified nutritional standards and cannot be prepared haphazardly. “There must be an SPPG head, an accountant, a nutritionist, in addition to 47 other workers who can also be recruited from the pesantren environment,” said Syafi’i. Furthermore, he explained that the pesantren SPPG can later serve other schools or educational units in the surrounding area according to agreements. Meanwhile, for pesantren with fewer than 1,000 students, the Deputy Minister suggests collaborating with other pesantren or utilising existing SPPG services outside pesantren.