Legislator Calls for Re-examination of One-Day WFH Plan, Citing Uncertain Effectiveness
The government is urged to review the discourse on implementing work from home (WFH) one day per week as an effort to curb fuel oil (BBM) consumption. Member of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Ateng Sutisna, assessed that the government’s stated efficiency target of up to 20% needs deeper scrutiny to avoid missing real field conditions.
According to the politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), efforts to reduce the energy subsidy burden are indeed an urgent need amid global oil price pressures and geopolitical uncertainties. However, he said, the policies taken must be based on thorough and on-target calculations, not mere assumptions.
“One-day WFH is not necessarily effective in reducing BBM consumption. There is potential for activity shifts, from work mobility to non-essential mobility,” Ateng stated in his comments on Friday (27/3).
He assessed that an overly simplistic approach to reading energy consumption patterns risks missing the initial goal. Without activity restrictions like during the pandemic, people will still travel.
In fact, he said, if implemented near the weekend, this policy could potentially encourage increased mobility out of town. “The rules can change, but people’s mobility behaviour may not follow. That’s the challenge,” he emphasised.
Besides the BBM consumption aspect, Ateng also highlighted potential economic impacts that are often overlooked in calculations. Reduced office activities could depress income for small business actors around work centres, such as street vendors to online transport drivers.
“Don’t let energy-saving policies instead hit the small people’s economy that depends on daily activities in office areas,” he said.
On the other hand, he added, operational costs do not truly disappear but shift to households, such as increased electricity consumption. This makes the effectiveness of the WFH policy in the context of energy savings questionable.
Therefore, Ateng emphasised that the direction of energy-saving policies should focus on improving the subsidy distribution system to be more on-target. “The main problem is not just the amount of consumption, but who enjoys the subsidies. This is what needs to be fixed,” he said.
He encouraged the government to tighten the distribution of subsidised BBM, including limiting its use for vehicles with large engine capacities. That step is seen as having a more direct impact in curbing consumption without burdening small communities.
In addition, accelerating subsidy scheme reforms is also considered crucial so that energy assistance is truly received by entitled groups. “Savings must be done in the right way. Don’t let the policies taken burden society but do not touch the root of the problem,” he concluded.