Sudaryono fired 137 SPPG heads, stressing that there was no pardon for MBG violators

Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Sudaryono (Bakom RI)

JAKARTA - The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has taken firm steps in maintaining the quality of the implementation of the free nutritious meal program (MBG). To date, as many as 137 heads of nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG) in various regions in Indonesia have been removed from their posts.

"As of today, I as the head of the National Nutrition Agency have removed 137 heads of kitchens throughout Indonesia, namely in West Java, Lampung, East Java, North Sumatra, Banten and Central Java, including yesterday's kitchen in Semarang which caused poisoning at SMK Negeri 6 Semarang," said the Head of BGN Sudaryono after a leadership meeting at the BGN office, Monday, August 3.

Sudaryono explained that the removal was carried out against the head of the SPPG who was proven to have violated discipline and had a record of cases that were contrary to the operational standards and integrity of the implementation of the MBG program.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the removal action was a form of organizational discipline against various violations found in the field, ranging from poisoning cases to irregularities in financial management.

"What is clear is that we have zero tolerance for poisoning, zero tolerance for acts of corruption, hengki pengki, ngentit money, and others, we have zero tolerance. We have prepared a system of mechanisms where trust is good, but control is better," said the Gerindra politician, who is usually called Mas Dar.

As part of efforts to strengthen governance, BGN is also developing a digital-based monitoring system that allows all operational processes in the kitchen to be monitored systematically.

In addition to strengthening the internal supervision system, BGN is also committed to increasing transparency to the public through the provision of information that is easily accessible by stakeholders, especially parents, schools, and local governments.

"As promised, after I was inaugurated, how to provide open information to related parties, especially parents, then the health service, the education service, including teachers, school principals, they get information that their children are given a meal menu by the state today, yesterday, tomorrow, and what is the plan, what is the nutritional content, then the menu was cooked at which SPPG, who is the head of the SPPG, and what are the complaints, so that we can see," said Mas Dar.