Religious Affairs Minister: Use Digitalisation to Optimise Services During WFH
Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar has instructed all ranks within the Ministry of Religious Affairs to ensure that public services continue to operate optimally during Work From Home (WFH) for Civil Servants every Friday.
The government has implemented a WFH policy for Civil Servants through Circular Letter of the Minister of PAN-RB Number 3 of 2026 regarding the implementation of official duties for Civil Servants in support of accelerating the transformation of government governance.
“Public services are the top priority. Adjustments to the work system, including WFH, must not reduce the quality of services. Services must remain present, easily accessible, and of high quality for the public,” said Nasaruddin Umar on 4 April 2026, quoted from his official statement.
The instruction applies to all work units of the Ministry of Religious Affairs at both central and regional levels, with the aim of maintaining the quality of services to the public. Nasaruddin stated that the technical arrangements for implementing WFH are left to the leaders of each work unit, taking into account the characteristics of tasks and types of services.
However, leaders of work units are still required to ensure that essential services that directly impact the public, such as marriage registration, legalisation of marriage books, and other religious services, remain available and accessible.
Nasaruddin Umar also encouraged the optimisation of information system technology in public services within the Ministry of Religious Affairs. “The use of technology must be the solution to maintaining service quality. Digitalisation of services needs to be continuously strengthened so that the public remains served without obstacles,” he said.
He also requested that each work unit ensure that service information is clearly conveyed to the public. According to him, both online and offline services must still meet the established quality and time standards. “Transparency of information is key. The public must receive service certainty, even with work system adjustments,” he said.
In addition, Nasaruddin requested that leaders of work units ensure public services remain inclusive and friendly to all segments of society, including vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, and children.
The government has officially implemented a Work From Home policy once a week for civil servants. This WFH implementation is a fuel-saving measure amid global oil price fluctuations due to the war between the United States and Israel against Iran.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto announced the WFH implementation during an official visit to Seoul, South Korea. “The implementation of Work From Home for Civil Servants in central and regional agencies is carried out for one working day per week,” said Airlangga, quoted from the Presidential Secretariat’s broadcast, Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
The WFH scheme is regulated through a circular letter from the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform as well as the Minister of Home Affairs. This policy, according to Airlangga, also aims to encourage digital-based government governance.