Mataram City Government asks for problematic MBG providers to be shut down

Mataram (ANTARA) - The Mataram City Government, West Nusa Tenggara Province, has requested that the Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), as providers of the problematic Free Nutritious Meal (MBG), be shut down to prevent harm to students.

The Head of the Mataram City Education Department, Yusuf, in Mataram, Thursday, said that SPPGs that are repeatedly found to be making fatal mistakes in providing food for students should be proposed for closure.

“If there are SPPGs that have repeatedly made such mistakes, then they should be closed. As recipients of the service, we have the right to propose this if the distribution of food is not in accordance with standards and endangers the health of students,” he said.

This was conveyed in response to findings of MBG meals that were deemed unfit for consumption in several schools during Ramadan 1447 Hijri.

These included spoiled pudding at SDN 2 Cakranegara, damaged and worm-infested dates at SMPN 2 Mataram, and even rotten apples at SDN 34 Ampenan.

“The schools are the recipients of the service and have the right to receive the best quality,” he said.

According to him, technical issues regarding the distribution and quality of food are the full responsibility of the providers, in this case the SPPG, and are under the supervision of the Health Department and the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

So far, there has been no direct line of coordination with the Education Department, as the SPPG delivers directly to the schools.

Therefore, so far, the number of official reports regarding the improper serving of MBG that have been received by the Education Department is still small.

“Often, we receive reports of problematic MBG late. This includes the findings at SDN 2 and SMPN 2 Mataram,” he said.

In response to this situation, Yusuf added, the Education Department plans to immediately send a letter and coordinate with relevant agencies to evaluate the performance of the MBG program providers so that similar incidents do not occur again, so that the government’s target of creating a golden generation in 2045 can be achieved.