Gerindra: Free Nutritious Meals Programme Included in Education Budget Because Recipients Are Students

Gerindra has stated that the inclusion of the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) in the 2026 education budget has a strong basis. The beneficiaries of MBG are students, who are central to the education system. ‘In fact, the inclusion of MBG in the education budget has a strong reason—that MBG recipients are students who are the most important part of the education system,’ said Habiburokhman, Deputy General Chairman of the Gerindra Party, in a written statement on Wednesday (4 March 2026). He added that budget adjustments were made to activities that are inefficient and prone to corruption within that sector. ‘Additionally, there is no higher allocation being removed to fund MBG; what is being cut are inefficient and corruption-prone activities in the sector,’ Habiburokhman said. The Chairman of the DPR’s Commission III emphasised that discussions and approvals of the MBG programme budget have been completed. Therefore, the current focus is on monitoring implementation in the field, as MBG is a programme beneficial to children. Previously, controversy over MBG funding emerged after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) revealed data on the 2026 state budget (APBN) related to education funding. My Esti Wijayati, Vice Chair of DPR Commission X from the PDI-P faction, stated that MBG funding was included in the education budget based on APBN 2026 and Presidential Regulation detailing the APBN. ‘In the APBN annex, in the form of a Presidential Regulation, it is clearly stated that Rp 769 trillion of the education budget includes MBG amounting to Rp 223.5 trillion. This is official in the APBN annex book,’ Esti said at a press conference at the PDI-P Party School in Jakarta on Wednesday (25 February 2026). ‘As questions began to surface, we thought it necessary to explain openly so that we convey the truth according to the data in the APBN,’ she added. In response to the controversy, the Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that the MBG allocation within the 2026 APBN had been approved by the government and the DPR.’