JPPI Refutes Claim That Free Meals Programme Does Not Reduce Education Budget
The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) has rejected a statement by Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti claiming that the free nutritious meals programme (MBG) does not reduce the education budget.
JPPI National Coordinator Ubaid Matraji argued that incorporating the Rp 223 trillion MBG allocation into the 20 per cent education spending quota in the 2026 state budget (APBN) effectively shrinks the fiscal space available for education. "Do not distort the facts. The MBG clearly reduces education funding in the 2026 APBN law. The public should not be deceived," Ubaid said when contacted on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
According to him, the 20 per cent constitutional requirement for education spending is technically met in numerical terms. However, a closer look at the budget breakdown reveals that a substantial portion is absorbed by the MBG programme.
"In terms of figures, the 20 per cent quota is indeed fulfilled, but in detail it turns out the MBG is included within it. This is a theft of fiscal space meant for funding children's access to school, improving teacher quality, and school facilities," he said.
Ubaid described the policy as a form of "deposited budget" forced into the education spending category. He maintained that while the education budget appears to have risen in nominal terms, the quality of education expenditure has actually declined.
"If they say the budget has increased, yes it has risen nominally, but it has fallen in quality. Many of our schools are still collapsing, teachers' salaries remain inadequate, yet the government is busy managing kitchen logistics through the school budget," he said.
JPPI also urged that the MBG allocation be removed from the 20 per cent education funding mandate as stipulated in Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution. According to Ubaid, including the MBG under the education function potentially deviates from the constitutional spirit, which emphasises funding for the delivery of education itself.
He questioned the claim that the MBG supports the learning process. "If they say this is for learning, what kind of learning do they mean? Learning to queue for food? Learning to wash dishes?" he said.
According to Ubaid, the purchasing power of the education budget has been eroded because funds that should have been used to improve the welfare of honorary teachers or renovate dilapidated schools have been diverted to finance the meals programme.
"Funds that should have been used to raise the welfare of honorary teachers or renovate thousands of damaged schools have instead evaporated into rice steam. The government is committing budgetary 'malpractice'," he said.
Previously, Minister Mu'ti stated that the MBG does not reduce his ministry's education budget. He also maintained that education funding had in fact increased in 2026.
"If there is a perception that the MBG reduces the education budget, we state firmly that this is not true. The President's education programmes continue to be implemented to the best of our ability," Mu'ti said at a Coordination Meeting on the Implementation of the MBG Programme in East Java on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
However, according to the appendix of Presidential Regulation Number 118 of 2025 on the Detailed State Revenue and Expenditure Budget for 2026, the MBG allocation is included within the education budget line. Of the total education budget of Rp 769 trillion, some Rp 223 trillion has been allocated to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to run the MBG programme.
In the 2026 APBN, the government has also cut spending, particularly regional transfer funds (TKD). These funds are typically used for school operational assistance grants and physical education special allocation funds.
Education budget cuts had already occurred in the 2025 APBN. For instance, the initial ceiling for the Ministry of Higher Education was Rp 57.68 trillion, which was subsequently reduced to Rp 43 trillion. Meanwhile, the initial ceiling for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, originally Rp 33.55 trillion, was cut to Rp 26.27 trillion.
JPPI National Coordinator Ubaid Matraji argued that incorporating the Rp 223 trillion MBG allocation into the 20 per cent education spending quota in the 2026 state budget (APBN) effectively shrinks the fiscal space available for education. "Do not distort the facts. The MBG clearly reduces education funding in the 2026 APBN law. The public should not be deceived," Ubaid said when contacted on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
According to him, the 20 per cent constitutional requirement for education spending is technically met in numerical terms. However, a closer look at the budget breakdown reveals that a substantial portion is absorbed by the MBG programme.
"In terms of figures, the 20 per cent quota is indeed fulfilled, but in detail it turns out the MBG is included within it. This is a theft of fiscal space meant for funding children's access to school, improving teacher quality, and school facilities," he said.
Ubaid described the policy as a form of "deposited budget" forced into the education spending category. He maintained that while the education budget appears to have risen in nominal terms, the quality of education expenditure has actually declined.
"If they say the budget has increased, yes it has risen nominally, but it has fallen in quality. Many of our schools are still collapsing, teachers' salaries remain inadequate, yet the government is busy managing kitchen logistics through the school budget," he said.
JPPI also urged that the MBG allocation be removed from the 20 per cent education funding mandate as stipulated in Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution. According to Ubaid, including the MBG under the education function potentially deviates from the constitutional spirit, which emphasises funding for the delivery of education itself.
He questioned the claim that the MBG supports the learning process. "If they say this is for learning, what kind of learning do they mean? Learning to queue for food? Learning to wash dishes?" he said.
According to Ubaid, the purchasing power of the education budget has been eroded because funds that should have been used to improve the welfare of honorary teachers or renovate dilapidated schools have been diverted to finance the meals programme.
"Funds that should have been used to raise the welfare of honorary teachers or renovate thousands of damaged schools have instead evaporated into rice steam. The government is committing budgetary 'malpractice'," he said.
Previously, Minister Mu'ti stated that the MBG does not reduce his ministry's education budget. He also maintained that education funding had in fact increased in 2026.
"If there is a perception that the MBG reduces the education budget, we state firmly that this is not true. The President's education programmes continue to be implemented to the best of our ability," Mu'ti said at a Coordination Meeting on the Implementation of the MBG Programme in East Java on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
However, according to the appendix of Presidential Regulation Number 118 of 2025 on the Detailed State Revenue and Expenditure Budget for 2026, the MBG allocation is included within the education budget line. Of the total education budget of Rp 769 trillion, some Rp 223 trillion has been allocated to the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to run the MBG programme.
In the 2026 APBN, the government has also cut spending, particularly regional transfer funds (TKD). These funds are typically used for school operational assistance grants and physical education special allocation funds.
Education budget cuts had already occurred in the 2025 APBN. For instance, the initial ceiling for the Ministry of Higher Education was Rp 57.68 trillion, which was subsequently reduced to Rp 43 trillion. Meanwhile, the initial ceiling for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, originally Rp 33.55 trillion, was cut to Rp 26.27 trillion.