Free Nutritious Meal Budget Must Be Separated from Education, Palace Speaks on 2027 Draft State Budget

The government will review the education budget allocation in the preparation of the 2027 State Budget (APBN) after the Constitutional Court (MK) ruled that the budget for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, which is not a core component of education, must be separated from the education operational budget.

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government is taking the Constitutional Court’s ruling into consideration during the process of drafting the financial note and the 2027 Draft State Budget (RAPBN), which will be presented by President Prabowo Subianto.

According to Prasetyo, the technical preparation of the 2027 State Budget had already commenced before the Constitutional Court’s ruling was read. Therefore, the government is now conducting a review to ensure the education budget structure remains in accordance with applicable regulations.

“The first point, if the question relates to the Constitutional Court’s ruling, the ruling itself also provides a deadline,” Prasetyo said at the Merdeka Palace complex in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.

“Technically, the preparation of the financial note and the 2027 State Budget was already underway before the Constitutional Court’s ruling was issued,” he continued.

Nevertheless, Prasetyo confirmed the ruling is a concern for the government. One of the steps being taken is to review the education budget components included in the 2027 Draft State Budget.

“But that it is a concern, yes. One of the things we are doing is reviewing them one by one,” he stated.

Prasetyo said the government wants to ensure the constitutional obligation to allocate a minimum of 20 per cent of the state budget to education is met.

“We are reviewing matters related to the education budget to ensure that the mandatory 20 per cent, as mandated by law, can be fulfilled,” he said.

Prasetyo even suggested that total government support for the education sector, when calculated comprehensively, could exceed the 20 per cent minimum threshold. This is because several government programmes related to education were not initially included in the education budget allocation.

“And if we look at it later, actually, if calculated, it is more than 20 per cent,” he said.

“Because there are several programmes that, at the start, were not allocated within the education budget, but are implemented by the government as additional programmes that are also related to education issues,” Prasetyo concluded.