Government's Fuel-Saving Measures: WFH and Limits on Fuel Purchases
The government has established eight policy packages to save oil fuel reserves (BBM) amid the war between Iran and the United States-Israel, which is disrupting the global energy supply chain. These policies are called the “8 pillars of national work culture transformation.”
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto outlined that the savings policies include organising the work schedules of civil servants to budget reallocations. “It needs to be emphasised to the public that the national economy remains stable with solid fundamentals,” said Airlangga when announcing these savings policies during a press conference held via Zoom on Tuesday evening, 31 March 2026.
Here are several fuel-saving policies from the government of President Prabowo Subianto:
WFH for Civil Servants
The first policy mandates that civil servants (ASN) work from home (WFH) every Friday, starting from 1 April 2026. The technical arrangements for ASN WFH will be outlined in a circular from the Minister of PAN-RB and the Minister of Home Affairs.
According to Airlangga, Friday was chosen for WFH because work activities on that day are not as intensive as other days. “We chose Friday because it’s a half-day, meaning not as full as Monday to Thursday,” said the former Golkar Party Chairman.
Certain Sectors Exempted
This WFH policy for ASN exempts public service sectors such as health, security, and cleanliness, which must continue working from the office. The WFH policy also does not apply to other strategic sectors like industry or production, energy, water, staple food and beverages, trade, transportation, logistics, and finance.
Private Companies Encouraged to Follow
Airlangga stated that private companies are also urged to follow the energy-saving policies set by the central government. He mentioned that WFH policies for private sector workers will be further regulated separately through a circular from the Minister of Manpower. “While still considering the characteristics and needs of each business sector,” he said.
Cuts to Official Travel Funds
In addition to WFH, the government is limiting the use of official vehicles by up to 50 per cent, except for operational needs and electric vehicles. Civil servants are encouraged to use public transport. Domestic official travel is cut by up to 50 per cent and international by up to 70 per cent.
Budget Reallocation
On the state expenditure side, the government is refocusing ministry and agency budgets from positions such as official travel, meetings, non-operational spending, and ceremonial activities to more priority expenditures. The potential reallocated budget is in the range of Rp121.2 trillion to Rp130.2 trillion, including for disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sumatra.
Restrictions on Subsidised Fuel Purchases
Furthermore, the government will restrict purchases of subsidised BBM. Purchases will be regulated through barcode scanning on the MyPertamina app with a limit of 50 litres per vehicle, except for public transport vehicles.
In addition, in the long term, the government will implement a B50 biodiesel blend starting from 1 July 2026. This policy is claimed to reduce fossil BBM consumption by up to 4 million kilolitres per year, with an estimated biodiesel subsidy saving of Rp48 trillion.
MBG Distribution to 5 Days
Another savings strategy implemented by the government is reducing the distribution of the free nutritious meal programme to 5 days per week from the previous 6 days. This policy is exempted for dormitories, 3T areas, and regions with high stunting rates. Airlangga stated that the potential savings from this policy reach Rp20 trillion.
According to Airlangga, these efficiency policies will be evaluated after two months of implementation. “The government states that these steps are aimed at promoting energy efficiency, savings in expenditure, and changes in work patterns that are more digitally based,” he said.