Government to separate MBG budget from education budget by 2028

hartono · Jul 31, 2026

Government to separate MBG budget from education budget by 2028

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Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa at the July 2026 APBN KiTa press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (July 21, 2026). ANTARA PHOTO/Bayu Pratama S/wsj/pri.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government will comply with the Constitutional Court's ruling requiring the budget for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program to be separated from the education budget, with the change taking effect no later than 2028.

"We will comply with the Constitutional Court's ruling," Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said on Friday.
He said the ruling would be implemented through the 2028 State Budget, with the government following the timeline set by the Court.

According to Purbaya, this year's budget will remain unchanged as it has already been deliberated and is currently in the finalization stage. Changing the existing budget could potentially hinder completion of the budgeting process.

Regarding the fiscal impact of separating the MBG budget from the education budget, Purbaya said the government is still calculating the implications.

Asked whether the ruling had been discussed with President Prabowo Subianto, Purbaya said no such discussion had taken place.

"We haven't (discussed it with President Prabowo)," he said briefly.

Previously, the Constitutional Court, through Decision No. 40/PUU-XXIV/2026, ruled that the MBG program budget must be separated from the operational budget for education administration.

The Court found that the nutritious meals program does not constitute a primary component of education.
It therefore ordered the separation to take effect no later than the 2028 State Budget, or within two years of the ruling issued on Thursday (July 30).

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court emphasized that the constitutionally mandated allocation of at least 20 percent of the State Budget for education is intended to finance the core components of the education system.

These components include students, educators and education personnel, facilities and infrastructure, curriculum, as well as educational evaluation and development.

"Financing for these primary components does not include funding for the MBG program," the Constitutional Court stated, as quoted from a copy of the decision.

The Court stated that the Elucidation to Article 22 paragraph (3) of Law No. 17 of 2025 concerning the 2026 State Budget had resulted in the failure to fulfill the mandatory spending principle stipulated in Article 31 paragraphs (2) and (4) of the 1945 Constitution, thereby creating legal uncertainty.

The Constitutional Court partially granted the petition filed by the Taman Belajar Nusantara Foundation, Dzakwan Fadhil Putra Kusuma, Muhammad Jundi Fathi Rizky, Rikza Anung Andita Putra, Sa'ed, and Indra Kusuma.