Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Submits Rp181 Trillion Additional Budget, What Is It For?

Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Prof Abdul Mu’ti confirmed that the Ministry has submitted an Additional Budget (ABT) of Rp181 trillion to the DPR. He stressed that the ABT submission is not for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme.

‘We have presented the ABT to the DPR,’ Mu’ti said after a Coordination Meeting on the MBG programme at the Office of the Central Java Provincial Government in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.

After presenting the ABT to the DPR, the Ministry is now awaiting a decision. ‘We are in a waiting position,’ Mu’ti said.

ABT or Additional Budget is an urgent allocation request within the current year’s state budget, made by a ministry for programmes requiring extra funding.

The first programme in the ABT submitted by the Ministry is funding for the revitalisation of educational units. Many educational units are in a damaged and worrying condition. ‘We are requesting additional funding for the revitalisation of 20,000 educational units,’ said the Secretary-General of the Muhammadiyah Central Executive.

The second programme is the Digitalisation of Education. In light of President Prabowo Subianto’s order, each educational unit will receive an additional allocation of IFP (Interactive Flat Panel) or PID (Digital Interactive Panel). The plan for 2026 is for the Ministry to distribute IFP to more than 325,000 educational units. ‘For digitalisation, we will distribute 3 IFP per educational unit,’

Another programme approved by the DPR is a scholarship programme for teachers who have not yet attained a Diploma 4 (D4) or a Bachelor’s degree (S1). Under this programme, these teachers will receive a scholarship of Rp3 million per semester. ‘This scholarship will be given to 150,000 teachers across Indonesia,’ Mu’ti said.

Contract teachers also receive government attention. In the ABT proposal submitted by the Ministry to the DPR, contract teachers will receive increased incentives. ‘Incentives for contract teachers will be raised from Rp300,000 to Rp400,000,’ Mu’ti said.

Meanwhile, in his briefing, the Minister stated that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme is an integral part of the Ministry’s programmes. ‘Especially regarding the seven Habits of Indonesia’s Great People, namely waking early, worship, exercise, healthy nutritious meals, diligent studying, community involvement, and early bedtime,’ he added.