Prabowo States Over 1,000 SPPG Kitchens Temporarily Suspended

President Prabowo Subianto has revealed that more than 1,000 kitchens of the Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) units within the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) programme have been temporarily suspended as part of efforts to improve service quality.

Through a statement from the Indonesian Government’s Communication Agency (Bakom), the President stated that this step is intended to ensure that nutrition service standards, cleanliness, and food safety are fully met, allowing the programme to operate optimally and on target.

“I checked directly. I called the Head of BGN and kept cross-checking,” said Prabowo in his statement on Thursday, 19 March 2026.

Prabowo emphasised that this policy does not mean halting the programme, but rather forms part of a comprehensive evaluation and improvement process. According to him, the decision was taken after direct checks following various inputs and criticisms regarding the implementation of MBG in the field.

Prabowo affirmed that the government does not turn a blind eye to criticism, but instead uses it as material for evaluation to enhance the quality of the programme concerning the future of the nation’s generations.

“I sent my people to check. I think, if I’m not mistaken, out of tens of thousands of kitchens, we’ve closed more than a thousand,” he said.

Prabowo stated that strict action is taken against kitchens that do not meet standards, with direct oversight in the field.

“More than a thousand. I have a deputy head, one lady, Mrs Nanik. She’s very strict. She keeps doing surprise inspections,” said the President.

“Those already suspended: 1,030. And what we’re doing now is certification. So if your kitchen wants to survive beyond a certain number of months, you must pass hygiene certification, food safety certification, check the water—how’s the water, is the water safe, how the water is cooked, then the pots, everything has criteria. If it’s not up to standard, it’s closed,” he said.

In addition, 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. Kitchens that do not meet the requirements will be immediately suspended until improvements are made.

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.