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Govt pledges to pay free meal program employees before Idul Fitri
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) vows to pay thousands of its development pioneer scholar (SPPI) employees, who have not been paid since the free meals program started in January, before the Idul Fitri holidays.
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Staff prepare lunches on Jan. 6, 2025, the first day of the free nutritious meals program, at a kitchen in Bogor, West Java. The government aims to feed around 83 million schoolchildren and pregnant women through the program, which was one of President Prabowo Subianto's key promises during the 2024 presidential election. (AFP/Aditya Aji)
T
he National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has promised to pay its development pioneer scholars (SPPI), who head the kitchens supplying President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program, whose salaries have not been paid since the program rollout in January.
The paycheck for thousands of scholars, nutritionists and accountants in around 1,000 kitchens, officially called Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), will be processed on Monday, according to BGN head Dadan Hindayana.
The money will be transferred before the Idul Fitri holiday, which is expected to fall on March 31.
“Hopefully, we will finish paying all the wages by Wednesday or Friday, at the latest,” Dadan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He added that the money may take several days to get to each staff member’s bank account after the issuance of a payment order letter (SPM) on Monday. Dadan promised that the agency would continue coordinating with the State Treasury Service Office (KPPN) to smooth out the process.
Read also: Government continues free meals program during Ramadan with processed food
The government has been actively recruiting thousands of university graduates who studied food science and nutrition as SPPI to help support the implementation of the free meals program, which aims to provide free lunches to 83 million schoolchildren and pregnant women nationwide.
