Yahya Zaini, deputy chair of House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX, has urged the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to set a deadline for its moratorium on building new kitchens for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. The call follows a Commission IX hearing with kitchen-provider partners that found about 2,000 kitchens already finished but still not operating. Yahya spoke to reporters on Sunday, July 19, 2026, summarizing the hearing's findings with various MBG partner associations and consortiums.

"On the new-kitchen moratorium, Commission IX held a hearing with MBG partners made up of various associations and consortiums," Yahya said.

The thousands of idle kitchens are spread across the country, including underdeveloped, frontier and outermost (3T) regions that depend most on the MBG program to meet the nutritional needs of children and pregnant women. Yahya said BGN has pursued three policies since its new leadership took over: the moratorium on new kitchens, refocusing beneficiaries, and budget efficiency. Of the three, he singled out the moratorium as the most pressing because it still has no clear end date.

"BGN needs a time limit for the moratorium, along with an evaluation and a classification of which kitchens can still have their partnerships continued," Yahya said.

He urged BGN to prioritize kitchens that already hold an SPPI (Infrastructure Provision Agreement) and a virtual account, two administrative requirements that signal a kitchen is ready to become operational. "Kitchens that already have an SPPI and a virtual account should be prioritized to continue," he said.

Why did BGN impose the moratorium on new MBG kitchens?

The moratorium is a temporary halt on permits for new MBG kitchen construction, in place since Thursday, June 4, 2026, under a budget-efficiency directive from the Ministry of Finance. The directive followed an adjustment to the MBG program's budget ceiling from 335 trillion rupiah to 268 trillion rupiah, a cut of 67 trillion rupiah. The policy took effect a day after former BGN chief Dadan Hindayana was detained by the Attorney General's Office over alleged corruption in the management of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG).

Partner investment stalled, 3T kitchens still empty

For private partners who had already built kitchens, the moratorium means capital tied up with no certainty. Yahya said some partners borrowed from banks or sold assets to finance construction, and now still bear the cost of maintaining buildings that sit idle. "They've also spent money to guard and maintain buildings that are already finished... They've made an investment, so that should be respected," he said.

Meanwhile, residents in 3T regions who were supposed to benefit from the 2,000 already-built kitchens still have no access to MBG meals, even though the buildings are complete. When the moratorium was first announced, BGN reported about 27,000 kitchens already operating, but their distribution was uneven, concentrated in urban areas while 3T regions remained underserved.

From a corruption case to new BGN leadership

The moratorium emerged from a turbulent transition period at BGN. Dadan Hindayana and two of his deputies were detained by the Attorney General's Office a day before the policy was announced. President Prabowo Subianto later inaugurated Nanik S. Deyang, previously BGN's deputy head, as the agency's permanent head on June 8, 2026, alongside Agustina Arumsari and Trenggono as deputy heads.

When first announced, Commission IX welcomed the moratorium as a chance for a full evaluation of MBG governance, including fixing food-safety standards after several mass poisoning cases. Two months on with no end in sight, Commission IX's pressure has now shifted to demanding a firm timeline. BGN deputy head Trenggono had earlier asked partners for patience, saying the agency first wanted to sort out the management of the roughly 27,000 already-running SPPG units before deciding the moratorium's fate.

What to watch

BGN has not set an official deadline for ending the moratorium. The public is still waiting for the promised evaluation and classification of kitchens, including how many of the 2,000 finished kitchens will ultimately get approval to operate, particularly in 3T regions. Commission IX, which has already floated forming a working committee to evaluate MBG governance, could pursue the same route if BGN fails to provide clarity soon.