Purbaya Reveals WFH Policy Scheme: What About the Fate of Private Employees and Factory Workers?
Jakarta, VIVA – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has stated that the government’s work-from-home (WFH) policy has been decided and will be announced shortly. He emphasised that although the decision is final, he is not the one who will communicate it directly to the public.
The official announcement will be made by Airlangga Hartarto, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy.
“It has been decided, it will be announced later,” said Purbaya in Jakarta on Wednesday, 25 March 2026.
“It won’t be me who speaks (announces it) later, it will be the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Airlangga Hartarto),” he added.
Regarding the government’s target to reduce fuel oil (BBM) consumption by 20 per cent through the WFH policy, Purbaya acknowledged that calculations estimate such a reduction.
However, he noted that the figure is not definitive and depends on various factors. According to him, the impact of the WFH policy cannot be viewed solely from the perspective of energy savings.
He believes that increased economic activity could have a positive impact on state revenues. “The savings might not be there, because economic activity rises, business grows quickly, consumption increases. But if taxes also rise in line with that, then I benefit too,” he explained.
Purbaya added that the government is taking a more comprehensive approach in assessing the policy’s impact, not focusing only on one indicator like BBM consumption.
Regarding the plan to implement WFH on Fridays, as previously mentioned by Airlangga, Purbaya said the choice of that day considers its effect on work productivity.
“If it’s a day off, the one chosen is the one with the smallest impact on productivity; Friday has the shortest working hours anyway. So the loss to productivity is considered the smallest,” he added.
Nevertheless, Purbaya could not confirm whether the WFH policy would be mandatory for the private sector. He mentioned the possibility that it would only be a recommendation for businesses, while the obligation would be directed more towards government agencies.
“I don’t know. Clearly, the factories won’t join in. Private sector mandatory? Maybe a recommendation. I don’t know. Government mandatory,” he concluded. (Ant)