Presidential Staff Office Receives Complaints on Impact of Free Nutritious Meal Programme Suspension During School Holidays

Chief of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Dudung Abdurachman has received complaints about the impact of the temporary suspension of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme during the school holidays. He stated the effects are being felt by operators and workers whose livelihoods depend on the programme. The complaints were received by Dudung after he met with several representatives of the Indonesian Cinta Masyarakat Alliance at his office in the Bina Graha Building, Jakarta, on Friday (26/6/2026). Dudung outlined three main points raised by the alliance, one of which was the direct impact on operators and workers in MBG kitchens. “There were three points from Mas Jefri, right? Firstly, the closure of kitchens during the school holidays certainly impacts the operators, especially volunteers, as they heavily depend on the MBG for their economy,” said Dudung. The second point concerns the impact on MSMEs supplying raw materials. The alliance stated that the decline in food commodity prices is not due to an abundance of stock, but because of reduced demand resulting from the halt in MBG kitchen operations during the holidays. “Secondly, the impact on MSMEs is now emerging. The BGN closed during the school holidays, and then prices became cheap. However, the alliance conveyed that this is precisely because no one is buying the raw materials,” he said. Dudung also addressed the moratorium on MBG kitchens. Out of a target of 27,000 MBG kitchens, 15,000 have currently been completed but their operation has not yet been implemented. “Then the third point, and this is more important, is about the moratorium. Out of 27,000 kitchens, around 15,000 have been completed. This involves billions. However, until now there has been no realisation,” he stated. “Especially in the 3T regions. There are around 1,200 where the contracts are already running, the decree has been received, and they have even been used as collateral at the bank, but the realisation has not yet been carried out,” Dudung continued. Dudung affirmed the government’s full commitment to the sustainability of the MBG programme. The temporary suspension of MBG kitchens during the school holidays, according to him, aims to improve overall implementation governance. “We understand that the implementation of the circular has raised various concerns from the public and partner operators. This input is an important part of the policy refinement process,” he said. Dudung will voice these aspirations to the leadership of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). His office ensures it will continue to provide oversight to maintain a balance between service quality for the community and the effectiveness of state budget use. “The points conveyed by our volunteer colleagues will certainly serve as material for us to convey directly to the BGN so that further policies can be determined, ensuring no adverse impact on operators or volunteers,” he said.