Airlangga Says Discounts and WFA Will Boost Economy During Eid

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto has stated that various government programmes, such as discounts, flexible work policies, and social assistance, have the potential to drive national economic activity during the Eid al-Fitr momentum in 2026. “The government has implemented many programmes, including discounts, then encouraging mobility through work from anywhere, and also various programmes including food assistance and social aid,” Airlangga said while holding an open house for Idul Fitri at his residence in the Widya Chandra area, Jakarta, on Saturday (21/3/2026), quoted from Antara. According to him, the combination of these policies is expected to increase public mobility and consumption, thereby impacting economic growth. Previously, the government rolled out several incentives to encourage mobility during Ramadan and Idul Fitri 2026. One of them is through price cuts in the transportation sector and toll road tariffs. The programme includes relief on travel costs across various modes of transport, such as aeroplanes, trains, sea transport, and land transport, to facilitate the public’s homecoming journeys. The government is providing discounts on train and sea transport tickets of up to around 30 per cent, waivers on ferry service fees, and price reductions on flight tickets in the range of 17–18 per cent. In addition, the government is distributing food assistance to more than 35 million beneficiary families to maintain public purchasing power. The assistance consists of staple needs packages, such as rice and cooking oil, distributed over two months. On the other hand, the government is also promoting the implementation of flexible work policies or work from anywhere (WFA), including a scheme of one day of work from home per week for civil servants (ASN) and encouragement to the private sector. Airlangga said that this policy will begin to be implemented after Eid, with exceptions for public services that must continue to operate normally. The work flexibility policy is also a response to global turbulence, particularly related to supply disruptions and high world oil prices. The government hopes this step can help save energy. On the same occasion, Airlangga also conveyed Eid al-Fitr greetings while reminding the importance of vigilance against potential future energy crises. “Happy Eid al-Fitr, forgiveness for both physical and spiritual shortcomings, and in this atmosphere we hope to face the upcoming oil crisis turbulence together,” he said.