Prabowo Suspends 1,000 Kitchens in Quality Crackdown on Free Nutritious Meals

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto has revealed that more than 1,000 service units for the government’s flagship Free Nutritious Meal program (MBG) have been suspended. The move, characterized as a "purging" of substandard operators, aims to recalibrate the quality of a social initiative that stands as a cornerstone of the President’s domestic agenda.

The suspension affects the Nutritional Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), the localized kitchen hubs tasked with preparing daily meals for students. By halting these operations, the government is signaling that the scale of the project will not come at the expense of food safety or nutritional integrity.

For the Prabowo administration, the MBG program is not merely a social welfare project; it is a massive logistical undertaking designed to address stunting and improve human capital in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. However, the rapid rollout has faced significant headwinds, including viral reports of poor hygiene and inconsistent food quality, forcing the Palace to choose between political optics and operational reality.

The Enforcement Push

Speaking from his residence in Hambalang on Thursday, President Prabowo emphasized that the suspensions are a corrective measure rather than a retreat. "I checked personally. I called the head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), and I continue to cross-check the data," Mr. Prabowo told journalists and experts.

The President credited the aggressive oversight to Nanik S. Deyang, the Deputy Head of the BGN, describing her enforcement style as uncompromising. "She is very firm. Her job is constant field inspections. To date, 1,030 units have been suspended," he noted.

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Mandatory Certification

To prevent a recurrence of these complications, the government is introducing a stringent certification regime. Under the new rules, kitchens must pass audits on water source safety, cooking temperatures, and equipment sterilization to remain operational.

"What we are implementing now is certification," the President stated. "If your kitchen wants to survive beyond a few months, you must pass hygiene and safety certifications. We check the water, how it’s boiled, the containers—everything has criteria. If it’s not right, we shut it down."

Breaking the 'Good News' Culture

Beyond technical standards, Mr. Prabowo is attempting to shift the bureaucratic culture surrounding the program. He criticized the traditional Indonesian administrative habit of providing "ABS" (Asal Bapak Senang) or "as long as the boss is happy" reports that mask ground-level failures.

"Reports that only show the good things are a bad culture," he said. "We must have the courage to face reality."

To bolster transparency, the administration is inviting the public—including school principals and parents—to act as informal auditors. By opening a direct line for complaints, the government hopes to create a decentralized surveillance network that ensures the MBG program remains "clean" and targeted.