Ministry of Religious Affairs: Delay in Madrasah Teachers' Professional Allowances Is Not Linked to MBG

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) emphasises that the Madrasah Teacher Professional Allowance (TPG) that has not yet been disbursed has no connection to cuts in the budget for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme.

Director General of Islamic Education at Kemenag Suyitno said the allowance not yet disbursed is due to administrative processing.

‘No, there is no connection. So in terms of TPG it is purely because it is undergoing administrative processing,’ Suyitno said when approached after a cordial meeting with journalists at the Ministry of Religious Affairs office, Central Jakarta, Thursday, 5 March 2026.

‘There is no link to that (the budget cuts for MBG), period,’ he emphasised.

He explained that there is something called the Additional Expenditure Budget (ABT) which needs to be submitted first to the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu).

‘There is the term ABT, we will of course submit it because, after all, the amount is in the process of certification, now in batch 4,’ he said.

The January and February 2026 Madrasah Teacher Professional Allowances cannot be paid until the budget is available.