DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Indonesia to Separate Free Meals Budget from Education Funds by 2028, Minister Says

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirmed the government will comply with a Constitutional Court ruling to separate the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program budget from education spending by 2028.
  • The court ruled that free nutritious meals are not a core education component, and the separation must be implemented by the 2028 State Budget cycle.
  • The minister stated that the current year's budget would not be altered, and the fiscal impact of the separation is still under calculation.

Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has confirmed the government will adhere to a Constitutional Court decision mandating the separation of the budget for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program from education funds. The separation is slated to be implemented by 2028, aligning with the state budget cycle.

We will follow the MK's decision. 2028, right?

— Purbaya Yudhi SadewaResponding to reporters about the Constitutional Court ruling.

Purbaya stated that the court's decision would be followed, with the effective year set for 2028. He explained that altering the current budget, which is already in its finalization stages, would necessitate restarting the entire process. "If the decision applies in 2028, then it will be implemented in 2028," he told reporters.

The Constitutional Court, in its Decision No. 40/PUU-XXIV/2026, ruled that the MBG program's funding must be distinct from the operational education budget. The court reasoned that providing free nutritious meals does not constitute a fundamental part of education. The ruling emphasizes that the government's constitutional obligation to allocate at least 20 percent of the state budget to education is intended for essential educational components like students, teachers, infrastructure, and curriculum development.

The effective year is 2028, right? Yes, we will make it 2028.

— Purbaya Yudhi SadewaConfirming the timeline for implementing the court's decision.

The court's consideration highlighted that the explanation of Article 22 Paragraph (3) of Law No. 17 of 2025 on the 2026 State Budget had created legal uncertainty. This uncertainty could potentially undermine the mandatory education spending requirement outlined in Article 31 Paragraphs (2) and (4) of the 1945 Constitution. The court partially granted a petition filed by the Yayasan Taman Belajar Nusantara and several individuals.

This has already been discussed. We would have to restart the work all over again. If the decision applies in 2028, then it will be implemented in 2028.

— Purbaya Yudhi SadewaExplaining why the current budget cannot be altered.

Purbaya also mentioned that the fiscal implications of this budget separation are still being assessed. When asked if he had discussed the ruling with President Prabowo Subianto, the minister briefly replied, "No, not yet."

No, not yet.

— Purbaya Yudhi SadewaAnswering whether he had discussed the ruling with the President.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog