EN.malanginspirasi.com – The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (Badan Gizi Nasional/BGN), Dadan Hindayana, has reaffirmed his agency’s unwavering commitment to fully implement President Prabowo Subianto’s instructions on improving the quality and safety of the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) or Free Nutritious Meals program.
The assurance comes as the government pushes for nationwide expansion while addressing operational shortcomings that have raised public concern.
Speaking in an official statement on Tuesday (24 March 2026), Dadan highlighted that the directive was first delivered during the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) held in Sentul, Bogor, in February 2026. He said President Prabowo Subianto explicitly ordered BGN not to become fixated solely on participant numbers.
“President Prabowo’s special message on Eid al-Fitr instructed BGN to raise the quality of SPPG implementation and services. Any SPPG units that fall short must be temporarily closed and immediately upgraded,” Dadan stated.
He reiterated the President’s core instruction.
“BGN must continue to work meticulously. Targets must still be pursued, but quality and safety must be enhanced.”
The emphasis on quality follows a series of field challenges, including reported cases of food poisoning and logistical difficulties at several community kitchens and Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG) units.
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In response, BGN has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the entire supply chain and production process. As a concrete measure, the agency has temporarily suspended more than 1,000 problematic SPPG units — a step already referenced by President Prabowo in March 2026.
“We are carrying out a total overhaul of governance. For any service unit that fails to meet safety and quality standards, we take firm action by imposing temporary suspension until the audit and improvement process is completed,” Dadan added.
The agency’s rapid and disciplined response underscores a clear shift in priority: expansion will continue, but never at the expense of public health. By tightening supervision, enforcing stricter nutritional and hygiene standards, and temporarily removing non-compliant operators, BGN aims to rebuild public confidence and ensure the long-term sustainability of what is regarded as one of the administration’s flagship national programs.
Observers note that this balanced approach — pursuing scale while insisting on excellence — addresses earlier criticisms and positions the MBG program for safer, more effective rollout across Indonesia’s vast archipelago in the months ahead.
