Clarifying the PDIP's Position on MBG Budget

The author refers to the PDIP as an institution, citing three reasons for the article title “Clarifying the PDIP’s Position on MBG”. First, the press conference was held at the PDIP’s official school in Lenteng Agung, Jakarta. Secondly, Esti Wijayanti and Adian Natitupulu are the Chair and Deputy Secretary-General of the PDIP’s Central Leadership respectively. Thirdly, Esti Wijayanti, as a member of the Parliamentary Budget Committee (Banggar) appointed by the PDIP parliamentary faction during the 2026 state budget discussion and approval, ensures that the substance conveyed represents the PDIP’s official position.

In the 2026 state budget, the MBG (Free Nutritious Meal) programme has been allocated Rp335 trillion. The programme will target 82.9 million beneficiaries, comprising schoolchildren, toddlers, pregnant women, nursing mothers, as well as teachers and education staff.

Some time ago, several PDIP politicians claimed that the MBG budget of Rp223.55 trillion forms part of the education budget of Rp769.08 trillion. However, this information has long been publicly available through Presidential Regulation Number 118 of 2025 on the Detailed 2026 State Budget, which is displayed on the State Secretariat’s website and accessible 24 hours without restriction.

Presidential Regulation 118 of 2025 is derived from Law Number 17 of 2025 on the 2026 State Budget. According to the provisions of Article 22, paragraph (3) of the 2026 Budget Law, the MBG budget is classified within the education budget nomenclature. The 2026 Budget Law was approved by parliament by acclamation, with the Speaker of Parliament and the Chair of the Budget Committee both being PDIP politicians, and the PDIP holding the most parliamentary seats.

The public statements by several PDIP politicians regarding the MBG budget appear designed to delegitimise President Prabowo Subianto’s government. This follows the President’s explanation that the MBG budget resulted from the efficiency measures implemented by the government from 2025 to 2026. Budget efficiency targets unproductive expenditure items such as office supplies, ceremonial activities, meetings and seminars, printing, venue rental, and official travel.

To clarify the record, several points merit emphasis. Firstly, the Prabowo Subianto government remains committed to fulfilling the constitutional mandate to allocate at least 20 percent of the state budget to education. Secondly, examining education budget allocations more carefully reveals significant increases during the first two years of President Prabowo’s administration compared to previous years.

In 2021, education budget allocation reached Rp479.6 trillion. In 2022, this increased to Rp480.3 trillion, rising to Rp513.4 trillion in 2023, and Rp569.1 trillion in 2024. Notably, the 2022 increase over 2021 was only 0.1 percent, the 2023 increase was 6.9 percent, and the 2024 increase was 10.8 percent.

President Prabowo has sought to increase education budgets substantially. In 2025, the education budget was allocated at Rp724.26 trillion according to Law Number 62 of 2024 on the 2025 State Budget, representing a 27.26 percent increase from the 2024 realisation—more than double the 10.8 percent increase from 2024. Even when calculated against the 2025 education budget outlook of Rp690.1 trillion, the increase remains substantial at 21.3 percent.

Thirdly, the larger education budget under President Prabowo’s administration results from incorporating the MBG budget into the education budget nomenclature. This can be observed in Annex VI of Presidential Regulation Number 201 of 2024 on the Detailed 2025 State Budget, which contains the MBG budget of Rp56.8 trillion. In 2026, under Law Number 17 of 2025 on the 2026 State Budget, the education budget is planned at Rp769.08 trillion, representing an 11.44 percent increase compared to the 2025 education budget outlook of Rp690.1 trillion. This increase also reflects the incorporation of the MBG budget into education nomenclature, visible in Annex VI of Presidential Regulation Number 118 of 2025, which shows an MBG budget of Rp223.55 trillion.

Fourthly, various ministries and agencies have experienced budget efficiency measures in 2026. For instance, the Finance Ministry’s budget decreased from Rp53.19 trillion in 2025 to Rp52.01 trillion in 2026. The Transportation Ministry’s budget fell from Rp31.45 trillion to Rp28.48 trillion, while the Labour Ministry’s budget decreased from Rp4.80 trillion to Rp3.86 trillion.

Fifthly, within the education budget breakdown, several ministries and agencies received significant budget increases. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s budget increased from Rp33.54 trillion in 2025 to Rp56.68 trillion in 2026. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology increased from Rp57.68 trillion to Rp61.87 trillion, whilst the Ministry of Religious Affairs rose from Rp65.92 trillion to Rp75.62 trillion.

President Prabowo Subianto believes that one factor hindering the development of Indonesian children’s quality stems from insufficient nutrition for schoolchildren. Data demonstrates that approximately 60 percent of children arrive at school without having eaten breakfast. Children who skip breakfast encounter difficulties absorbing lessons at school.