Bima Arya Asks Regions to Measure Savings from WFH

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto has asked the Bekasi City Government not to stop at merely implementing the work-from-home (WFH) policy, but to promptly calculate the real impact of budgetary efficiency from the policy. The request was conveyed during a review of WFH implementation at the Bekasi Mayor’s Office in West Java on Friday, 10 April 2026. According to Bima, the WFH policy must be measured with concrete indicators, particularly savings in the use of fuel oil (BBM), electricity, and water. “This efficiency principle is not just about avoiding dependence on international BBM supplies, but also about transforming into a new work culture, a new work ethic, everyone getting used to it, and heading in that direction,” Bima stated in his official remarks, quoted on Saturday, 11 April 2026. Data from the Bekasi City Government shows that around 40 percent of civil servants have been carrying out WFH. However, Bima has asked for that figure to be followed immediately by a detailed calculation of budgetary efficiency, especially from savings in the use of fuel oil, water, and electricity. Bima said that a number of basic services must still operate fully, such as firefighting, environmental management, and water resources. Meanwhile, administrative services at the sub-district, village, and permitting levels are limited to a maximum of 50 percent of employees working from the office. The government, he said, is also tightening supervision of civil servants during WFH through a digital performance reporting system and location monitoring. Sanctions are prepared for employees who do not work according to the provisions as well as superiors who are negligent in supervising. This WFH policy is also accompanied by encouragement to change the mobility behaviour of civil servants. According to Bima, the Bekasi City Government is starting to direct employees to use public transportation and bicycles. He mentioned that developing public transportation based on electric vehicles could be a follow-up step to reduce energy consumption. The WFH policy for civil servants was set by the government as an energy-saving measure amid rising global oil prices. Civil servants in central and regional agencies are scheduled to work from home one day per week to curb fuel consumption. This policy also responds to geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which impact global energy prices. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto previously announced the policy as part of mitigating external pressures.