97 MBG Kitchens in DIY Stop Operating, Unpaid Funds Become a Major Obstacle

YOGYAKARTA - A total of 97 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) have temporarily stopped operations. The delay in the disbursement of funds is the main cause of the cessation of the services of dozens of Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program kitchens.

Based on local government data, as many as 42 SPPG or around 43.3 percent stopped operating because of funds that had not been disbursed. Meanwhile, another 55 SPPG or 56.7 percent were hampered by administrative issues, suspended status, to other operational issues.

Sleman Regency became the region with the largest number of SPPGs that did not operate, namely 36 units. Followed by Gunungkidul Regency with 28 units, most of which were affected by delays in the disbursement of funds.

The Regional Secretary (Sekda) of DIY, Ni Made Dwipanti Indrayanti, said the funding constraints were related to the transfer process through virtual accounts and the non-fulfillment of a number of administrative requirements.

"Yes, there are many because the virtual account is a payment, so it has not been transferred, the requirements have not been met because it is like that," said Ni Made, Thursday, June 11.

According to him, the suspension of operations is temporary and is currently still in the evaluation phase by the local government together with related parties.

"Yes, while looking at it, it may not be recommended that you propose not to recommend it again for construction, so we are still evaluating what is already there, what is already existing," he said.

Apart from the issue of funds, the DIY Provincial Government also highlighted the importance of fulfilling the Laik Hygiene Sanitation Certificate (SLHS) for each SPPG. The certification is one of the important requirements to ensure food safety and the quality of services provided to students.

"It's important that SLHS is also important, in fact, it's also a lot, including waste management, which also triggers, for example, poisoning and others," said Ni Made.

The regional government through the SPPG Task Force (Satgas) continues to carry out joint monitoring with the district and city governments to ensure that all MBG kitchens operate according to the standards set.

During the evaluation process, it was found that a number of SPPG suddenly stopped the service without notifying the school or beneficiaries. This condition had caused problems because students who came to school expected nutritious meal services, but it turned out that it was not available.

"There are students who may not have had breakfast, then they went to school and it turned out that the SPPG did not serve. So it was unilaterally cut off, so it was not informed," he said.

To prevent similar incidents, the DIY Regional Government plans to tighten the monitoring and coordination system with SPPG managers in each region. Every kitchen that will stop its services temporarily is required to notify the school and related parties in advance.

The regional government is also still waiting for the process of disbursing funds for dozens of SPPGs that have been affected. The disbursement is expected to accelerate the normalization of operations so that the provision of nutritional services for students can run optimally again.

The suspension of almost one hundred SPPG in DIY is a challenge in itself for the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal program in the area, especially because the service targets thousands of students who depend on the nutrition fulfillment program at school.