BGN Confirms Free Nutritious Meals Programme Will Continue Despite Budget Reclassification
The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme is confirmed to continue despite the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling that its budget must be separated from the education budget by the 2028 State Budget (APBN) at the latest. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has stressed that the ruling only regulates the budgeting mechanism and does not halt the programme’s implementation.
BGN Head Sudaryono stated that his agency, as the executor, will implement all government policies in accordance with statutory regulations. Based on the BGN’s legal review, MK Decision Number 40/PUU-XXIV/2026 does not cancel or stop the MBG Programme, but rather directs a phased adjustment to the budgeting mechanism by the government.
“We are an operational agency. Of course, we will implement any government policy. It should be underlined that the Constitutional Court’s decision actually affirms that the Free Nutritious Meals Programme is a constitutional programme,” Sudaryono said in a written statement on Tuesday (4/8/2026), as quoted from detikFinance.
According to Sudaryono, the substance of the MK ruling does not alter the legality or existence of the MBG Programme. The decision only provides limitations on the budgeting mechanism, specifically regarding the calculation of the MBG Programme budget within the mandatory education spending component. Therefore, the implementation of the MBG Programme will continue. The government has also been given a maximum transition period of two years to adjust its budgeting policy.
The BGN’s legal review concluded that MK Decision Number 40/PUU-XXIV/2026 is conditionally constitutional. This means the adjustment only applies to the budgeting norms of the MBG Programme, not to the existence or legal basis of the programme itself. The BGN considers the ruling to be final and binding, serving as a guideline for the government in formulating future policies and budget designs for the MBG Programme.
Starting from the 2028 State Budget, the MBG Programme budget that is not a core component of education will no longer be calculated as part of the operational budget for education provision. Despite this change, the sustainability of the MBG Programme as a strategic government initiative will not be reduced. Sudaryono assessed that the MK ruling actually provides legal certainty for the continuation of the MBG Programme while clarifying its budget governance.
“If we examine it more deeply, the Constitutional Court’s decision confirms that the Free Nutritious Meals Programme is a constitutional programme. The concern is about the placement of its budget, and that will be addressed by the government according to the applicable mechanism,” he explained. Sudaryono added that the ruling does not alter the position, authority, duties, or functions of the BGN as the organiser of the MBG Programme. The BGN will continue to carry out its mandate to ensure the programme is implemented effectively, accountably, and provides optimal benefits to the community. He affirmed that the BGN will continue to support the policy adjustment process while ensuring the MBG Programme runs optimally as part of the government’s efforts to improve the nutritional quality of the public.