Parliament Cuts Back: Reduced Electricity Use and Meeting Refreshments
The House of Representatives has begun implementing savings measures amid efficiency plans to address potential crises arising from the United States and Israel’s war against Iran. DPR Secretary General Indra Iskandar stated that since last week, parliament has discussed various aspects of savings and future work patterns.
According to him, savings within the parliamentary environment will target several budget items, from electricity usage and vehicle operations to civil servant official travel. “For the initial stage, the operational electricity budget for buildings and vehicles will be reduced,” Indra said when contacted on Friday, 27 March 2026.
To reduce electricity usage, the DPR will turn off lights and air conditioning in meeting rooms earlier on days without plenary sessions. Initially, the DPR planned to turn off lights by 8:00 PM WIB. However, the DPR Secretariat General has since revised that policy. “This will be shortened further to 6:00 PM WIB,” Indra said.
In addition, the DPR Secretariat General is reducing civil servant official travel within parliament. Indra said official travel will be limited to only the most urgent matters.
Indra stated that the DPR will also curb fuel oil consumption for vehicle use. He said the scheme for vehicle operational savings is currently being prepared.
Furthermore, Indra said the DPR is now evaluating reductions in meeting refreshments. “For meetings, snacks and lunches will be reduced and eliminated if it’s only a short meeting,” he said.
During the cabinet plenary session two weeks ago, President Prabowo Subianto expressed his desire for savings to address potential crises from the war in West Asia. He cited examples from other countries that have already implemented savings. One of them is Pakistan, which is said to be saving because it considers this global crisis equivalent to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“They even reduced salaries for cabinet members, DPR members, and all these salary savings are collected to help the most vulnerable groups,” Prabowo said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Pakistan, according to Prabowo, has also implemented a work-from-home policy for civil servants and private sector employees. For savings, Prabowo said the South Asian country has also reduced working days.
In addition, Prabowo mentioned that Pakistan mandates government agencies to reduce official vehicle usage by up to 60 percent. Prabowo said other countries have also halted overseas visits for savings.
“They reduced it so that government funds cannot be used for parties and such events. Then, all their higher education institutions switched to online, all schools stopped for two weeks,” Prabowo stated.
Various policies, according to Prabowo, can reduce fuel oil consumption, the price and supply of which are fluctuating due to the war between the US-Israel and Iran. The Gerindra Party Chairman hopes Indonesia can also take saving steps.