MBG Kitchen Managers, Suppliers Protest at BGN Office

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of managers of the free nutritious meal or MBG kitchens, known as the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), visited the office of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) on Jalan Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. The kitchen operators, who came from Bandung, West Java; Toba, North Sumatra; and South Sulawesi, demanded accountability from BGN regarding various issues.

Nunung Nuraini, an MBG kitchen operator from Bandung, complained that her facility was abruptly seized by a foundation to be handed over to a third party. Nunung emphasized that building the kitchen was not cheap, noting, "I've spent nearly 1 billion rupiah," when met outside the BGN office in Central Jakarta.

Accompanied by her nephew, she arrived at the BGN headquarters clutching a stack of documents to demand clear answers. Nunung explained that the trouble began when she could no longer access her SPPG account on May 7, 2026, leaving her unable to monitor daily kitchen operations.

Just yesterday, she discovered that BGN had unilaterally altered her account details. To make matters worse, she learned her kitchen had been handed over to another operator, a move she claims lacks any contractual basis. "It’s not that I didn't pay. I paid to the foundation, I paid the rent, and I paid my workers' wages; in a way, I’ve been extorted a lot," she lamented.

Nunung added that she has since been barred from accessing her own facility. Her entire staff was fired, and security personnel blocked them from entering the property. "Yesterday, when I tried to go inside, I couldn't. The security guards had been replaced, and neither I nor my workers are allowed back in," she said.

Nunung suspects this unilateral takeover occurred because another party bought out her location. She alleges that the new operator secured the necessary permits and site purchase through the back door, allegedly aided by a former BGN high-ranking official, identified by the initials SS, who is currently detained by the Attorney General's Office.

If her kitchen is indeed to be handed over to another party, Nunung insists that the buyer must fully reimburse her initial capital and cover five months of projected business losses. "I don't want to be compensated for just the capital. If they are buying it out, they need to compensate for my business risks as well," she argued.

She also revealed that during her time managing the MBG operations, she discovered a network of working partners colluding to aggressively mark up catering procurement prices. For example, she noted that food containers or pastries that normally retail for around Rp600 apiece on the market were being billed to the state at Rp2,000 per unit.

Nunung admitted she fears her SPPG could be dragged into the wider corruption probe currently targeting three BGN leaders who are now in the custody of the Attorney General's Office. "I'm afraid of what will happen when the state audit comes around, which is why I came here to explain this, aside from demanding to know why my name and account were changed," she explained.

She expressed deep anxiety that she will ultimately take the fall for the illicit markups orchestrated by her colleagues once state auditors begin combing through the accounts.

Similar complaints were aired by Helma Sirait, a fish and meat supplier for an MBG kitchen unit in Toba, North Sumatra, who claims she is now facing losses of Rp120 million. Helma emphasized that she is a small-scale vendor operating on thin margins.

Helma explained that she joined the program as a supplier under the impression that her upfront costs would be reimbursed swiftly. However, after two months of delivering meat to the local kitchen, she has yet to receive a single payment from the program operators.

"I traveled all the way from Toba. Imagine how far that is. I’ve been here several times. I was directed here and there with no clear answers, even though my child just had an accident and I had to leave them behind; I just want my money back because I'm not a big entrepreneur," she pleaded.

She demanded an immediate audience with BGN representatives to clarify how and when vendors will be compensated for food supplied to the program. "I just want to meet and ask for an explanation, but nobody is coming to meet us," she said.

Tempo has reached out to BGN Chief Nanik Sudaryati Deyang for a statement regarding the demonstration and the partners' allegations. However, at the time of publication, Nanik has not responded to inquiries.

Read: New BGN Chief Nanik S. Deyang Pledges Tight Budget Controls After MBG Graft Case

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