MK rules MBG constitutional, but outside education budget

The Constitutional Court ruled that the Makan Bergizi Gratis program remains constitutional, but its funding must be separated from the education budget. In Decision No. 40/PUU-XXIV/2026, read out on Thursday, constitutional justice Enny Nurbaningsih said MBG is not a core component of education, so it should not be financed from the mandatory 20 percent share of the education budget in the APBN. Even so, the court upheld the constitutionality of APBN 2026 because removing MBG funding immediately could cause the minimum education allocation to fall short. The court ordered the government to adjust education allocations before 2026 ends and to find other funding sources for MBG operations. In the DPR, House Commission X Chairman Hetifah Sjaifudian said discussion of replacement funding would be part of the drafting of RAPBN 2027, with implementation of the ruling due no later than APBN 2028.