RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian government, particularly the Ministry of Finance, will respect and implement the Constitutional Court’s ruling regarding the separation of the Free Nutritious Meals Program budget from national education funds. This fiscal policy reform is confirmed to take effect no later than the drafting of the 2028 State Budget.

The Constitutional Court’s decision affirms that funding for the free meal program does not count toward the 20 percent allocation for education. From the ministry's written press release, the Ministry of Finance is committed to overseeing the entire process of adjusting these regulations transparently.

“We will follow the Constitutional Court’s ruling,” Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, affirmed at the Presidential Palace Complex on Friday, July 31, 2026.

He noted that the adjustment to the budget structure will not affect the draft State Budget, which is currently in the final stages of deliberation. The government has opted to implement a transition period until 2028 to maintain stability and the country’s fiscal governance process.

The Finance Minister explained that sudden budget changes to a draft that is currently being finalized could potentially disrupt the State Budget approval schedule. Therefore, the fund separation scheme will be adjusted to align with the Constitutional Court’s official deadline.

“This has already been discussed. So, if it’s 2028, then it’s 2028. The Constitutional Court likely also considers that this has already been discussed and just needs to be finalized. If everything changes now, we won’t have enough time,” he said.

The Ministry of Finance is currently conducting a careful assessment of the implications of this budget separation on the country’s long-term fiscal posture. This in-depth evaluation is being carried out to ensure that priority programs continue to run without neglecting the constitutional obligations of the education sector.