Government to Comply with Constitutional Court Ruling Separating Education and Free Nutritious Meal Budgets

The government has stated it will comply with the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling regarding the policy of using the education budget in the 2026 State Budget Law for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme implemented by the administration of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The MK ruled that the education budget can no longer be used to fund the MBG programme.

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, confirmed the government’s stance. ‘The government will certainly obey the MK ruling regarding the MBG budget, which must be separated from the 20 percent education budget as stipulated by Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution,’ Yusril told reporters on Thursday (30/7).

‘The MK ruling is final and binding. Therefore, the government and the House of Representatives have no choice but to comply,’ he added.

Yusril explained that the implementation of the MK ruling will take effect in the 2028 fiscal year. This is because the deliberation process for the 2027 State Budget is already in progress. ‘In accordance with the dictum of the MK ruling, the decision will be applied in 2028, considering that the discussion of the 2027 State Budget has already begun,’ he said.

Previously, the Constitutional Court partially granted a petition regarding the use of the education budget for the MBG programme. The court stated that the education budget in the State Budget could no longer be used to fund the MBG programme. The ruling mandates that the separation of the MBG programme budget from the education budget must be implemented starting from the 2027 State Budget or no later than the 2028 State Budget.