The government is preparing various mitigation measures to address the surge in global oil prices caused by geopolitical conflicts involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
One of the key strategies is a transformation toward a more efficient and digitally-based national work culture.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, stated that this policy is part of a major shift in the national work system.
“This policy program is known as the 8-point national work culture transformation, and will later be supplemented by energy policies,” he said.
In its implementation, the government has established a work-from-home (WFH) policy for civil servants (ASN) one day a week, specifically every Friday. This policy is expected to significantly reduce energy consumption.
“The potential savings from this Work from Home policy directly contributing to the state budget amount to Rp6.2 trillion, in the form of fuel subsidy savings,” said Airlangga.
Additionally, fuel consumption savings for the public are estimated to reach Rp59 trillion. The government is also promoting a shift toward digital-based work patterns as an adaptive measure to address global dynamics.
“The government has established a policy for transforming work culture that encourages more efficient, productive, and digital-based work behaviors,” he added.
Support for this policy also comes from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.
Director General of Digital Infrastructure at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, Wayan Toni Supriyanto, believes that the utilization of shared infrastructure is key to the success of WFH.
“Our primary focus is to drive efficiency through collaborative use of shared infrastructure while maintaining a healthy competitive environment,” he said.
He explained that the collaboration will involve mobile operators and fiber-optic network providers to strengthen connectivity, particularly in residential areas experiencing increased digital activity.
“We are confident that the national telecommunications industry possesses strong resilience to adapt to changes in society’s work patterns,” he said.
Meanwhile, political and governance analyst Rafriandi Nasution views the WFH policy as a strategic government move to reduce fuel consumption.
“This one-day WFH policy for civil servants is a government step to anticipate fuel efficiency or savings resulting from the impact of global conflicts,” he said.
He added that implementing WFH on Fridays is considered effective because it has the potential to save up to 20 percent in fuel consumption.
“Nationally, WFH is scheduled for Fridays. This is estimated to save up to 20 percent in fuel usage,” he said.
