RI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan has revealed a sharp increase in the number of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) and Free Nutritional Meal Program (MBG) kitchens, particularly in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged (3T) regions.

The number of SPPG sites in 3T areas, initially mapped at around 2,000, has risen to 8,617. Of these, 6,138 have already received decrees from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). Minister Zulkifli said the surge has placed a significant burden on the program’s budget.

“This increase must be addressed immediately to ensure the MBG Program remains effective and meets its objectives,” Minister Zulkifli said at a press conference on improving MBG quality and remote SPPG services at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Office in Jakarta on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

Outside the 3T regions, the number of MBG kitchens has also grown. The original plan was to establish 21,000 kitchens, but the figure has now reached 27,877, an increase of 6,877.

Assuming each kitchen receives an operational budget of Rp6 million per day, the additional sites could raise budget requirements by more than IDR 1 trillion per month, or around IDR 12 trillion annually.

“There is a waste of IDR 1 trillion per month, which means IDR 12 trillion per year,” Minister Zulkifli said, adding that the government has given the new BGN leadership one month to evaluate and restructure the program.

BGN Head Nanik S. Deyang said her agency has prepared efficiency measures, including a moratorium on opening new kitchens. Currently, 27,877 kitchens are registered through virtual accounts, and they will be reevaluated to ensure service capacity matches the number of beneficiaries in each region.

BGN has also suspended new registrations while mapping regional needs, noting that kitchens remain concentrated in Java. The agency will refine beneficiary targets to deliver more focused nutrition assistance. At present, around 63 million people are registered.

Nanik emphasized that oversight of service quality will be strengthened. By 2026, the program will prioritize improving the quality of MBG implementation rather than expanding the number of kitchens.

“This program must be effective, well-targeted, and provide real benefits to the community,” she said. (Misni Parjiati)