Plan for Weekly Work-from-Home Agreed to Save Fuel, Awaiting Report to Prabowo
Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian stated that several coordinating ministers and technical ministers have agreed on the plan to implement work from home (WFH) one day per week. This policy is being prepared as part of measures to conserve fuel oil (BBM).
According to detikNews, the decision is still awaiting a report to President Prabowo Subianto before being officially announced to the public.
Tito explained that the agreement was reached in a cross-ministerial meeting involving Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, Cabinet Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Deputy Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. The meeting, which lasted several hours, discussed various government strategies to anticipate potential global crises due to conflicts in the Middle East.
“The meeting yesterday lasted almost 3 or 4 hours. Yes, but we agreed to speak with one voice, meaning who will deliver it, I don’t know, (the meeting) at the Palace. Whether by Coordinating Minister for Human Development, Coordinating Minister for Economy, or perhaps by the Cabinet Secretary (who will announce it). So, we only provided inputs, but I am not authorised to deliver it to the public,” Tito said after the PHTC update press conference at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday (25/3/2026).
Regarding the implementation day for WFH, Tito was also unwilling to disclose it. According to him, the meeting results still need to be reported first to Prabowo before being finalised.
“I don’t want to mention it, yesterday it was actually almost directed towards the majority agreeing on one day, the same day, but I won’t say it again because the results of yesterday’s meeting must be reported to the President,” he said.
Furthermore, Tito emphasised that the central government and regional governments have no issues with the proposal for WFH one day per week. He recalled that the scheme was implemented during the COVID pandemic.
“No problem for me. I’m sure there won’t be a problem, because this is not the first experience. During the COVID era, WFH was even implemented with only 25% working from office. The Home Affairs Ministry had 25% WFO and it still ran. So, it’s not something new; we have experience,” he said.
Previously, the government planned to implement the WFH policy as a budgetary efficiency measure amid the impact of conflicts in the Middle East. The prepared scheme allows employees to work from home one day per week.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, stated that the policy is still in the study stage. He explained that the surge in oil prices is one of the factors driving the need for efficiency, including in work scheduling.
“With the high oil prices, efficiency in work time is needed. Where flexibility for work from home will be opened. One day in five working days,” Airlangga said after a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, on Thursday (19/3/2026).
Airlangga added that the government is preparing the technical aspects of implementing the policy. He hopes that the WFH implementation will not only apply to civil servants (ASN) but also be followed by the private sector and regional governments.