Indonesia tightens oversight of Free Nutritious Meal program

The Indonesian government is implementing significant reforms to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program to improve governance, food safety, and budget accountability. Following directives from President Prabowo Subianto, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has closed 1,288 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) for failing to meet hygiene and sanitation standards. Additionally, 353 SPPG heads have been dismissed without honor, and approximately 2,500 other employees are under investigation. The Attorney General's Office has also named 13 individuals as suspects in connection with program irregularities.

Despite these challenges, the program has reached over 57 million beneficiaries and utilized approximately Rp149.79 trillion in budget realization as of September 2026. To strengthen oversight, the BGN is collaborating with Posyandu cadres to monitor food kitchens and ensure timely, accurate distribution. The government is also working to involve micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the supply chain, with over 68,000 MSMEs already participating as suppliers.

Future strategic steps include accelerating program expansion to underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions and refining the incentive scheme for service units. The program currently involves over one million active workers, including 86,120 SPPG employees and nearly 941,878 volunteers.