Economist: Free Nutritious Meals Programme Can Strengthen Human Resources Within Education Budget Framework
Jakarta – Economic observers believe the free nutritious meals (MBG) programme can strengthen human resources development whilst remaining aligned with constitutional provisions requiring a minimum 20 per cent education budget allocation in the state budget.
Economist Yusuf Rendy Manilet from the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) stated that whilst the policy formally meets constitutional education allocation requirements, it requires appropriate fiscal design support.
“The issue is not with the programme’s objective, as nutritious meals are clearly important for human development, but rather how it is positioned within the budget structure to optimally support education functions,” Yusuf told Antara in Jakarta on Monday.
He assessed that nutrition programmes are closely linked to improving learning quality, as students’ health conditions and nutritional intake affect concentration and cognitive ability.
“Children with adequate nutritional intake tend to have better learning capacity. In the long term, this contributes to increased productivity and economic growth,” he said.
Previously, the government affirmed that MBG allocation does not reduce education budgets, which remain protected in accordance with constitutional mandates.
According to Yusuf, given relatively limited fiscal space, prioritisation management becomes crucial so nutrition programme strengthening proceeds alongside improvements in core education spending quality such as teacher development and school facilities.
“In a situation where fiscal space is not entirely flexible, priority management is important so the nutrition programme operates effectively without diminishing focus on improving education quality,” he stated.
He added that the programme should be designed as part of an integrated human resources development strategy, functioning as complementary rather than substitute spending for education budgets.
Yusuf noted that practices in several countries showed successful school meal programmes were generally supported by cross-sector financing schemes and inter-ministerial coordination.
This approach enables the nutrition programme to operate sustainably whilst strengthening education budget effectiveness without reducing focus on improving learning quality.
He assessed that integrating the nutrition programme with the domestic agricultural sector could also create economic multiplier effects through increased demand for local food products.
With clear and long-term-oriented financing design, he said, MBG can become a strategic investment in improving human capital quality.
Meanwhile, the government previously affirmed that 2026 education budgets have been agreed between the government and parliament’s budget committee and have not been reduced due to the MBG programme.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya confirmed all strategic education programmes such as the Indonesia Clever Card and Indonesia Smart Programme remain operational, accompanied by strengthened access through people’s schools and renovation of approximately 16,000 schools in 2025 with a budget of Rp17 trillion.
He also stated that the government is increasing teacher incentives to Rp400,000 and non-permanent teacher allowances from Rp1.5 million to Rp2 million in 2025 as part of education sector strengthening.