Jakarta. Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) said the Finance Ministry and the House of Representatives will decide how the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program will be funded after the Constitutional Court ordered the program's budget to be separated from the national education allocation starting with the 2028 state budget.

The court ruled that MBG is not part of the core operational costs of education, allowing the program to continue while requiring it to be financed outside the education budget beginning with the 2028 State Budget. In the 2026 State Budget, Rp 223.6 trillion ($12.42 billion) of the Rp 769.1 trillion education budget was allocated to the program. The government has since reduced MBG's overall 2026 budget to Rp 229 trillion as part of broader spending cuts.

BGN head Sudaryono said determining the program's funding source falls outside the agency's authority.

"Questions regarding the Constitutional Court's ruling should probably be directed to the finance minister," Sudaryono told reporters at the BGN headquarters in Central Jakarta on Sunday.

He said the government, particularly the Finance Ministry, would formulate a new financing scheme, while the House Budget Committee would deliberate and approve the allocation.

"The government, including the Finance Ministry and the House Budget Committee, will follow up on the ruling through policy measures," he said.

Sudaryono stressed that BGN's role is limited to implementing the program under whatever budget ceiling is ultimately approved by the government and lawmakers.

"Our focus is to carry out our mandate as the implementing agency," he said.

The agency has yet to disclose which budget post could replace education funding for MBG. It also remains unclear whether the new financing scheme will affect the program's overall budget, the number of beneficiaries, or its expansion plans.

The Constitutional Court said its ruling does not affect the legality or continuation of the flagship meal program. Instead, it is intended to ensure that education funds remain dedicated to the sector's primary needs while MBG is financed through a separate budget allocation.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has confirmed that the government will comply with the ruling and implement the new funding arrangement beginning with the 2028 State Budget.

"We will follow the Constitutional Court's ruling. It takes effect in 2028, doesn't it?" Purbaya said at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Friday.

He added that the government would not revise the budget currently under discussion because the drafting process is already in its final stages.

"The budget has already been discussed. If we change it now, we'd have to redo a lot of work. The court likely considered that the budget is already close to finalization. If everything changes now, we won't finish on time," he said.

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