Court decision tightens House oversight on free meals funding
‘Any policy resulting in a fundamental change to the amount of central government expenditure by function must obtain House’s approval,’ according to Constitutional Court justices.
A recent Constitutional Court ruling in Indonesia has imposed stricter oversight on the allocation of funds for the free nutritious meal program. The court's decision, delivered by a vote of 8-1, obliges the government to seek approval from the House of Representatives before modifying expenditures related to this initiative. This move, welcomed by experts and petitioners, aims to enhance legislative scrutiny over the program.
The court ruled that any alterations to central government expenditure functions must undergo proper parliamentary review, as affirmed by Justice Arsul Sani. The ruling extends to the 2027 state budget and future budgets. However, Justice Daniel Yusmic Foekh dissented, asserting that the state budget, being initiated solely by the president, differs from other laws and requires no prior parliamentary approval.
This exception applies only to the 2027 state budget. The decision impacts President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals program, which has been under scrutiny for potential misallocation of public funds.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
