Prabowo Admits Over 1,000 MBG Kitchens Have Issues, but BGN Head is Fierce and Ready to "Suspend"

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto has revealed that more than 1,000 Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) or kitchens under the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) programme that were problematic have been temporarily suspended. Prabowo emphasised that the government will ensure nutritional service standards, cleanliness, and food safety are fully met, allowing the MBG to run optimally and on target. “More than 1,000. I have a Deputy Head of BGN, one lady, Mrs Nanik. She is very fierce. She inspects continuously. The ones already suspended number 1,030,” Prabowo stated in his remarks on Thursday (19/3/2026). According to him, the decision was taken after direct checks, following various inputs and criticisms regarding the implementation of MBG in the field. “I checked directly. I called the Head of BGN, and I cross-checked continuously,” he said. Prabowo stressed that the government he leads does not turn a blind eye to criticism. He claimed that they are instead using the various problems from MBG as material for evaluation to improve the quality of the programme. “What we are doing now is certification. So if your kitchen wants to survive for more than a certain number of months, you must pass the cleanliness certification, food safety certification, check the water, how the water is safe, how the water is cooked, then the pots, all of that has criteria. If it’s not in order, it’s closed,” Prabowo explained. Furthermore, the government is also beginning to implement a strict standardisation and certification system for all MBG kitchens. Each kitchen is required to meet criteria for cleanliness, food safety, water quality, and processing procedures in accordance with standards. Meanwhile, the government is also opening a public oversight mechanism, providing reporting access for the public, schools, or parents to monitor and report on the programme’s implementation in the field. Prabowo emphasised that transparency and public involvement are key to ensuring the MBG programme runs cleanly and on target. “Anyone can check. School principals, parents, local communities can enter and complain,” he asserted. “Reports that are all good-good are not a good culture. We must be brave to face reality,” Prabowo added.