Gowa Regent Launches Cycling Movement to Promote Energy Savings, Civil Servants Set the Example

The Regent of Gowa, Sitti Husniah Talenrang, has launched the ‘Let’s Cycle’ movement as an effort to promote healthy living patterns while encouraging energy savings. This initiative is described as a follow-up to directives from President Prabowo Subianto.

The launch of the movement was marked by a cycling action by Regent Husniah along with civil servants from the Gowa Regency Government on Wednesday (15/4/2026). Husniah stated that the ‘Let’s Cycle’ movement will be implemented every Wednesday through the Healthy Wednesday programme.

“The launch or initiation of ‘Let’s Cycle’ is intended to habituate healthy living while socialising energy savings,” said Husniah Talenrang to reporters.

“We must set an example for the community so that it can become a habit and a positive value, because this programme is not only a central government initiative but also a regional one,” she added.

Husniah explained that cycling offers numerous benefits, from maintaining health, reducing traffic congestion levels, to strengthening relationships and fostering closer ties among civil servants. Moreover, this activity allows civil servants to interact more directly with the community.

“By cycling, we can become more familiar, greet each other, and build relationships with the community. This provides additional value,” she added.

Nevertheless, Husniah assured that the implementation of this movement will be adjusted to the conditions of each civil servant, particularly those with long distances from home to office.

“We do not force everyone to cycle, but we prioritise achieving the values of health, energy savings, and relationship-building. However, the most important thing is that the Healthy Wednesday programme as a routine agenda is continuously carried out every week,” she clarified.

During the event, the Gowa Regency Government also involved local small and medium enterprises (UMKM) by presenting various culinary items, such as meatballs, bassang, market snacks, boiled foods, and traditional buroncong delicacies, in the area of the Regent’s Office. This step serves as a form of government support for UMKM development.

“The presence of UMKM is expected to expand market reach, increase business operators’ income, and revive the existence of traditional snacks,” she continued.

“Through the initiation of Wednesday Cycling, we also aim to encourage the growth of local UMKM to become better known and developed. It is hoped that this movement will not only impact health and the environment but also provide economic benefits to the community,” she hoped.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Youth and Sports Office (Kadispora) of Gowa, Muh Sahir, stated that the activity will be carried out from the village/sub-district level up to the regency level. He hopes that the movement will not only affect health but also reduce fuel consumption and support energy-saving policies.

“This activity is implemented at all levels, from the village/sub-district to the regency level. Specifically for Wednesdays, we hope it can be immediately followed up by all civil servants within the Gowa Regency Government,” he said.

For civil servants who do not own bicycles or have long commuting distances, this policy can still be adapted by using motorbikes. He considers two-wheeled vehicles more fuel-efficient than four-wheeled ones.

“If they do not have a bicycle, perhaps they have a motorbike, so a two-wheeled vehicle can be used. It is hoped that through this programme, efficiency and energy savings can be promoted,” he explained.

For information, civil servants of the Gowa Regency Government have also implemented a Work From Home (WFH) policy every Friday since 3 April 2026. This policy is part of a cultural transformation towards more effective and efficient work practices.

“Public service work units continue to operate Work From Office (WFO), while supporting regional apparatus units can implement WFH selectively with a maximum limit of 50 percent of civil servants,” said Husniah.

“Remember, WFH does not mean a day off. Performance and service quality must remain maintained; only the work process is different,” she emphasised.