Cabinet Agrees on WFH Day for Energy Savings, Says Home Affairs Minister

4 hours ago 3

March 25, 2026 | 04:54 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian has announced that ministers within the Red and White Cabinet have reached a consensus on implementing a mandatory work-from-home (WFH) day in a bid to conserve national energy.

Tito noted that the agreement was forged during a cross-ministerial coordination meeting attended by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, and State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi. The session focused on energy-saving strategies to mitigate the impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict on global supplies.

Tito revealed that the decision to move forward with the WFH day will be reported to President Prabowo Subianto before a formal public announcement is made. "We held a meeting yesterday for nearly four hours, and we have agreed to speak with one voice," Tito stated at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

The former National Police Chief admitted he does not yet know which minister the Palace will appoint to officially unveil the one-day WFH schedule. According to Tito, his role was primarily to provide policy input. "I am not authorized to make the public announcement myself," he added.

The Prabowo Subianto administration is currently finalizing the framework for this one-day WFH policy, which will apply to both civil servants and the private sector. Amid these preparations, a proposal has emerged to slate the WFH day for Fridays, effectively creating a three-day weekend sequence from Friday through Sunday.

Tito declined to provide further specifics regarding which day the ministers ultimately settled upon. He emphasized that the cabinet must first present the meeting’s outcomes to the President for final approval.

"I don't want to disclose it yet; though yesterday, the majority leaned toward one particular day. I cannot say more because the results must be reported to the President first," Tito remarked.

The discourse surrounding WFH for civil servants and private employees first surfaced in mid-March 2026. During a cabinet meeting at the State Palace, President Prabowo pushed for aggressive measures to curb oil consumption and proposed WFH as a buffer against the escalating global crisis.

The surge in international oil prices followed the outbreak of conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran in late February.

However, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) energy economist and lecturer Fahmy Radhi believes that enforcing the intended outcomes of a WFH policy will be challenging. He noted that the policy requires a fundamental shift in traditional work patterns.

Radhi argued that if the one-day WFH scenario is applied on Fridays, employees may choose to "work from anywhere" (WFA) at tourist destinations to capitalize on the long weekend. "As a result, fuel consumption may not see a significant reduction," he stated in a written release on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, WFH successfully saved fuel because there was a clear necessity to avoid infection. Radhi pointed out that this variable is absent from the upcoming policy. Without that sense of urgency, he warned, it will be difficult to ensure the WFH mandate remains consistent and effective.

Ilona Estherina contributed to the report.

Read: Can WFH Cut Electricity and Fuel Consumption?

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