Cabinet Secretary: Free Nutritious Meals Allocation in Education Budget Approved by DPR Budget Committee, Chaired by PDI-P Member

Cabinet Secretary (Seskab) Teddy Indra Wijaya addressed the controversy surrounding the allocation of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) funds from the national education budget, which has recently drawn scrutiny from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Teddy stated that the decision on education budget allocation in the state budget (APBN) has been approved by the government together with the DPR.

“So the education budget is 20 percent of the APBN. This year it is Rp769.1 trillion, which represents 20 percent. And that is the education budget. What is included in the education budget? Much. Its allocations,” said Teddy at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Friday, 27 February 2026.

Teddy noted that the APBN Law has passed through agreement between the government and the DPR, including the decision-making stage at the DPR Budget Committee (Banggar). He then referenced the fact that the Chair of the DPR Budget Committee also comes from the PDI-P faction, Said Abdullah.

“And its allocations have already been agreed upon last year by the government, the DPR, and the DPR Budget Committee. The Budget Committee Chair is also from PDI-P,” said Teddy.

“And all of this, including the MBG, is the initial foundation for improving education going forward,” he continued.

Teddy also emphasised that the MBG programme will not reduce education programmes. He rejected the notion that there is a narrative that the government is neglecting education quality.

“I would like to correct misunderstanding and incorrect narrative. About what? Well, recently some parties have stated that the Free Nutritious Meals programme reduces education programmes and budget. So that schools are neglected and teachers are not given attention. So I want to respond that this is an incorrect narrative,” said Teddy.

Previously, the MBG budget allocation from the education budget was flagged by PDI-P. The party stated that a budget of Rp223.5 trillion for the programme was taken from the total national education budget.

This clarification came following statements from several state officials claiming that the MBG budget was the result of efficiency savings and did not reduce the education budget allocation. This sparked questions from PDI-P branch officials and the general public regarding the actual facts.

“Our colleagues below understand that the education budget of Rp769 trillion is mandatory spending of 20 percent from the national and regional budgets (APBN and APBD) that must be allocated purely for education,” said Deputy Chair of Commission X DPR RI from the PDI-P faction, MY Esti Wijayati, at a press conference at the PDI-P Central Leadership School, Lenteng Agung, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 25 February.

However, based on official state documents, the funds for the MBG programme do indeed reduce the education budget allocation.

“In the APBN appendix in the form of presidential regulation, it is explicitly stated that from the Rp769 trillion education budget, Rp223.5 trillion is used for the MBG programme. That is official in the APBN appendix document,” she stated.