Budget Commission Chair Addresses Free Nutritious Meal Programme Drawing on Education Funds
Jakarta – The Chair of the House of Representatives Budget Commission (Banggar), Said Abdullah, has issued a statement regarding the controversy surrounding the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme allegedly drawing on education budget allocations.
According to Said, the MBG programme budget of Rp 268 trillion for 2026 is indeed classified within the education budget category.
Said emphasised that this allocation was formally approved through the State Budget Law mechanism and was not a unilateral decision or a policy introduced covertly.
“In 2026, the Budget Commission receives budget allocation in accordance with the State Budget Law of Rp 268 trillion, allocated to support the MBG programme at Rp 255.5 trillion and Rp 12.4 trillion for programme management support,” Said stated on Friday, 27 February 2026.
Of the total Rp 255.5 trillion allocated to the programme, Rp 223.5 trillion falls within the education function. The controversy emerged following allegations that education funds were being diverted to finance the MBG and risked violating the constitutional mandate requiring 20 percent of the budget to be allocated to education.
Said rejected this narrative. According to him, the State Budget is a legal product discussed openly between the government and the House of Representatives, including deliberations in the Budget Commission.
“The State Budget is the only law whose draft is proposed by the government to the House of Representatives,” he stated.
He emphasised that the decision to classify the MBG within the education function represents a legitimate budgetary political decision, as it was approved jointly and ratified in a plenary session.
“Clearly, the government and the House of Representatives have decided it becomes the State Budget Law,” he asserted.
Said also assured that the education budget allocation continues to meet constitutional thresholds. In the 2025 State Budget, education spending was Rp 724.2 trillion, increasing to Rp 769 trillion in 2026.
The controversy has now proceeded to the Constitutional Court (MK) for legal examination. Said stated that his office respects this process.
“Whether this basis is legally valid, only the Constitutional Court can determine whether this policy is correct or not,” he said.
The MBG programme is a priority initiative of President Prabowo Subianto, with a substantial budget allocation. The size of the allocation and its classification within the education function have made this policy a subject of public debate.