Commission X: MBG Does Not Disturb the Budget Posture of the Ministry of Education

Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the House of Representatives, Lalu Hadrian Irfani. ANTARA/Yuvensius Lasa Banafanu

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the House of Representatives, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, said the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program did not interfere with the budget posture of the Ministry of Education and President Prabowo Subianto actually added education budget through the additional budget (ABT).

The addition of the budget is focused on improving facilities, infrastructure, quality, and the welfare of teachers.

"The MBG budget does not interfere with the education budget, the President actually increases the education budget through ABT and focuses on improving facilities, quality, and the welfare of teachers," said Lalu, as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, February 21.

He explained that in various working meetings of Commission X of the DPR with the government, in this case the Ministry of Education, it was emphasized that the budget for the implementation of MBG was separate from the education budget.

During the meeting, ministers in the field of education also emphasized that MBG strengthens character education through the improvement of nutritious and quality food for students in order to implement the seventh program of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), namely Indonesia Hebat.

"Regarding MBG, it is true that in the APBN posture it is written that MBG is included in the education budget posture, but after we held many working meetings, it turned out that the purpose of MBG was actually for the benefit of education," he continued.

Therefore, Lalu emphasized that the Commission X of the DPR fully supports the MBG program. Moreover, MBG in principle supports the advancement of national education.

On the other hand, he also encouraged the government to immediately realize its good faith in improving the living standards of teachers and expects President Prabowo Subianto's commitment regarding the improvement of teachers' welfare to be a state priority.

"The most important thing now is how the government's good faith is for the first time, our PR is the welfare of teachers. The welfare of teachers must certainly be the main priority to be thought about," he said.

In addition, Lalu also touched on the addition of a budget for the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikdasmen) of Rp. 181 trillion. Not to mention additional budgets for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), and the Ministry of Culture.

"So, don't misunderstand after we have investigated, after coordinating with the ministry in the field of education, it turns out that the MBG does not interfere with the budget in the education ministries, in fact, the President increases the budget in education for the improvement of facilities and infrastructure, improvement of quality. Then, the improvement of teachers' welfare," he said.

Then he reiterated that the implementation of MBG does not interfere with the budget posture for education. He even supports MBG as long as it has good goals for the advancement of national education.

"It doesn't bother, in fact, with the existence of MBG, strengthening our national education goals, after we met many times, so the posture of the education budget is added," said Lalu.