Violating Standards, Prabowo: 1,000 SPPG Units Temporarily Halted
President Prabowo Subianto has revealed that more than 1,000 kitchens of the Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) units within the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme have been temporarily suspended as part of efforts to improve service quality.
According to information from the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom) received in Jakarta on Thursday, the President stated that this step was taken by the government to ensure that nutrition service standards, cleanliness, and food safety are fully met, allowing the programme to run optimally and on target.
“I checked directly. I called the Head of BGN and kept cross-checking,” said Prabowo during a question-and-answer session with journalists and experts at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor, which aired on Thursday (19/3).
Prabowo emphasised that this policy does not mean halting the programme, but rather part of a comprehensive evaluation and improvement process. According to him, the decision was made after direct checks following various inputs and criticisms regarding the implementation of MBG in the field.
Prabowo stated 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 generation.
“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 continued.
Prabowo said 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 spot checks on her work,” he said.
“Those suspended: 1,030. And what we’re doing now is certification. So if your kitchen wants to survive for more than a few months, you must pass hygiene certification, food safety certification, check the water, how the water is safe, how the water is boiled, then the pots, all that has criteria. If it’s not up to standard, it’s closed,” said the President.
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 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 stressed 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.
He also emphasised the importance of building a new culture in programme governance, namely abandoning practices of reports that do not match facts.
“Reports that are all good are not a good culture. We must dare to face reality,” he said.
Going forward, the government will continue to strengthen oversight, improve systems, and ensure that the MBG programme truly provides real benefits in enhancing the nutritional quality of the community, especially children.