Zulhas asks 2 months to fix MBG; 7,000-8,000 SPPG lack certification

Coordinating Food Minister Zulkifli Hasan asked for one to two months to fix the distribution of the Free Nutritious Meals program after a series of irregularities emerged in its implementation. In Jakarta on Friday (14/8), he said the government would complete 7,000-8,000 SPPG that do not yet have a Hygiene and Sanitation Eligibility Certificate (SLHS) and add about 13,000 new service points in Java. Zulhas also apologized for the upheaval surrounding the program, which has been running for more than a year. In the initial phase, the government will prioritize NTT, Papua and Maluku within one month, then expand services to 11 million toddlers, pregnant women and nursing mothers over a one- to two-month horizon.