The government has announced several budget-saving policies to\nanticipate the impact of the war in the Middle East. These steps are\nbeing taken amid the escalation of the Middle East conflict, which is\ncausing a surge in global crude oil prices.<\/p>\n
The policies were announced by Coordinating Minister for the Economy\nAirlangga Hartarto along with Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources\nBahlil Lahadalia. \u201cThis policy programme is called the eight pillars of\nnational work culture transformation, and it will later be supplemented\nwith energy policies,\u201d said Airlangga during a press conference on\nTuesday, 31 March 2026.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the policies the government is implementing to save\nthe budget:<\/p>\n
Implementing WFH every Friday<\/p>\n
The government is implementing work from home (WFH) every Friday for\ncivil servants (ASN) in central and regional agencies, effective from 1\nApril 2026. The private sector is also encouraged to adopt WFH. Sectors\nexempted from WFH include public services such as health, security, and\nsanitation, as well as strategic sectors like industry, trade,\nlogistics, and finance.<\/p>\n
According to Airlangga, the WFH policy has the potential to save fuel\ncompensation in the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) by Rp\n6.2 trillion. Meanwhile, the total savings in public fuel expenditure\nare estimated at Rp 59 trillion.<\/p>\n
Efficiency in official travel<\/p>\n
In addition to WFH for ASN, Airlangga stated that the government is\nlimiting the use of official vehicles by 50 per cent, except for\noperational needs and electric vehicles. ASN are encouraged to use\npublic transport. Domestic official travel is being cut by 50 per cent\nand overseas travel by 70 per cent.<\/p>\n
Budget reallocation<\/p>\n
The government will redirect or refocus budgets from expenditure\nitems such as official travel, meetings, non-operational spending, and\nceremonial activities. Airlangga said the budget will be redirected to\nmore productive spending, including rehabilitation and reconstruction of\ndisasters in Sumatra. According to Airlangga, the potential for budget\nreallocation reaches Rp 121.2 trillion to Rp 130.2 trillion.<\/p>\n
Optimisation of the free nutritious meals programme<\/p>\n
Airlangga said the government is promoting the optimisation of the\nfree nutritious meals (MBG) programme by providing fresh food five days\na week. However, this excludes dormitories, 3T areas, and regions with\nhigh stunting rates. According to Airlangga, the potential savings from\nthis policy reach Rp 20 trillion.<\/p>\n
Implementing the B50 blend<\/p>\n
To support energy efficiency, the government is implementing a B50\nbiodiesel blend policy starting from 1 July 2026. According to\nAirlangga, the implementation of B50 has the potential to reduce the use\nof fossil-based fuel by 4 million kilolitres. This policy is predicted\nto save biodiesel subsidies by Rp 48 trillion.<\/p>\n
Regulating fuel purchases<\/p>\n
The government will regulate fuel purchases using the My Pertamina\nbarcode. The limit for purchasing Pertalite is 50 litres per vehicle.\nHowever, this restriction does not apply to public transport\nvehicles.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-series-of-budget-saving-measures-from-wfh-to-b50-1775015450", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }