JK Views WFH as Hindering Work, Vice President's Aide: This is a Short-Term Measure

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The 10th and 12th Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, believes that working from home or work from home (WFH) causes employees not to work.

The Special Staff to the Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, explained that the WFH policy is a tactical short-term measure by the government to save fuel oil (BBM).

Initially, Jusuf Kalla responded to the WFH policy for employees, noting that it has an effect on fuel savings, but there are also negative effects.

“There is effectiveness, namely saving fuel for employees. But the effect is, they don’t work. That has a huge impact on government services, especially if businesses are also asked to do it—how about sales, how about production. The consequences are very costly,” said JK in Jakarta on Wednesday (1/4/2026).

“If you want to do it like we did before, in 2005-2006, raise the price,” said JK.

A fuel price increase would naturally suppress fuel consumption in society.

“If the price rises, automatically people reduce fuel usage, it can reduce usage by half,” said JK.

Vice Presidential Special Staff Gibran Rakabuming, Nico Harjanto, acknowledged the input from Jusuf Kalla and made it an important note for the government.

However, Nico explained that this WFH policy is a quick effort to address the current actual situation.

“This WFH is purely a tactical short-term step, a quick relief to suppress daily BBM consumption, without sacrificing productivity and public services at all,” said Nico in a written press statement on Thursday (2/4/2026).

“Such as accelerating the electric vehicle ecosystem, transitioning to B50 bioenergy, to strengthening infrastructure and domestic BBM production,” he said.

The government does not want to sacrifice the national economy in a crisis situation.

“Today’s crisis we address quickly without sacrificing national economic stability, while continuing to build future energy sovereignty,” he stated.