MK orders MBG budget removed from education by 2028
Government and DPR must redraw the APBN, with MK saying the separation could begin as early as 2027.
The Constitutional Court has ordered the budget for the free nutritious meals program, or MBG, to be separated from the education line item by the APBN 2028 at the latest. The ruling partly granted a judicial review petition against Law No. 17 of 2025 on the APBN 2026 filed by Yayasan Taman Belajar Nusantara and four citizens. Constitutional Justice Enny Nurbaningsih said MBG can no longer be included in the operational definition of education, and therefore cannot use the mandatory 20 percent APBN allocation for education. The court also urged the government to complete changes to the budget structure sooner so the separation can start in the APBN 2027. State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government respects the ruling and will study it, while stressing that the budget process also involves DPR.