Indonesia Scales Up Free Nutritious Meal Program with Over 1,000 Kitchens Operational

JAKARTA, investortrust.id – Indonesia has launched over 1,000 free nutritious meal kitchens across the country as part of a major effort to combat malnutrition and provide food access for vulnerable populations, a senior government official said on Saturday. The initiative, led by the National Nutrition Agency in collaboration with local small businesses, aims to reach more than 82 million people.

The National Nutrition Agency, or BGN, reported that 1,050 units of Nutritional Service Unit, or SPPG kitchens, had been established by March 2025 under the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. These kitchens, launched in partnership with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), serve free meals to communities in need.

“The initial rollout in January 2025 involved 191 kitchens across 26 provinces. That number has grown significantly to 1,050 as of March,” said BGN Head Dadan Hindayana during a press briefing at the Ministry of Public Works in South Jakarta on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

During a recent full cabinet meeting, President Prabowo Subianto assigned BGN to expedite the MBG program to serve 82.9 million Indonesians nationwide. Hindayana noted that the President had expressed concern over public inquiries and complaints about delays in food access, urging cross-sectoral coordination for faster deployment.

“President Prabowo was deeply concerned by reports from the public asking why they had yet to receive meals. He called for acceleration, involving various stakeholders, including ministries, the private sector, the military, police, state prosecutors, national intelligence, religious organizations like Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, business groups such as KADIN and HIPMI, and cooperatives,” said Hindayana.

To meet this target, BGN is working closely with the Ministry of Public Works to construct an additional 1,542 kitchens, particularly in Indonesia’s remote, outermost, and underdeveloped regions—collectively known as the 3T areas. The expansion will be supported by a proposed Rp 100 trillion ($6.4 billion) budget increase in September 2025.

The MBG program has been designated as a national strategic project under Presidential Regulation No. 12 of 2025 on the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025–2029.

Hindayana emphasized that the kitchen construction must align with Ministry of Public Works Regulation No. 1 of 2020, which outlines the standards for integrated design-and-build procurement.

“We are currently planning 1,542 new SPPG kitchens funded by the national budget. Given the urgency of this program, we want the design and construction to comply with the 2020 regulation,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Works, BGN, and three state-owned construction companies—PT Adhi Karya Tbk (ADHI), PT Hutama Karya (Persero), and PT Pembangunan Perumahan Tbk (PTPP)—have signed a memorandum of understanding to build kitchens in Banjar Regency, Kebumen Regency, and Jambi Province.

Each SPPG kitchen is estimated to cost around Rp 4.5 billion ($287,000), with the funding secured through corporate social responsibility (CSR) schemes.

“All kitchen infrastructure will be financed under CSR commitments from the three state-owned enterprises,” said Triono Junoasmono, Special Advisor to the Minister for Inter-Institutional Relations at the Ministry of Public Works.

BGN has also received public criticism over prioritization, particularly regarding service delays in 3T areas. Hindayana responded by emphasizing that government intervention through the state budget was necessary to reach these challenging locations.

“We often receive feedback and criticism about not prioritizing remote areas. The truth is, those areas can only be reached with full government support through national funding,” he said.