Slower peace in the city on the first day of Ramadhan

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city moved a little slower on Wednesday as Muslims observed the first day of the Ramadhan fasting month with many government and private sector offices shortening their work hours.

The usually bustling City Hall was quiet with fewer employees and visitors in evidence. The city administration has reduced its office hours to allow employees to properly observe the fasting month.

"We start work at 8 a.m. and go home at 3 p.m. during the fasting month. Usually we start working at 7:30 a.m. and go home at 4 p.m.," said city spokesman Muhayat.

"But a number of units may still observe the usual office hours in order to provide better service. We are being flexible here," he said.

The City Revenue Agency building was also slightly quieter on Wednesday with even brokers for city procurements, who usually throng the building, being conspicuous by their absence.

The agency's cashiers, however, were busy serving residents paying city taxes and charges.

Meanwhile, the adjacent City Council building was also quiet.

The building's lobby is usually crowded with members of the public lobbying councillors. But none were to be seen on Wednesday.

The councillors were keeping themselves to themselves in their faction offices.

"Wednesday is faction day so the councillors are not having any meetings today," a Commission D staffer said.

"Perhaps they are also preparing themselves for plenary meetings on Thursday," he added.

According to the schedule, the councillors will get their final say on two draft city bylaws on parking charges and fuel tax respectively on Thursday.

Jakarta also saw less traffic on the first fasting day partly due to the fact that most school students are on a short break for the start of Ramadhan.

"I only need less than half an hour to go from my house in Bekasi to my office in City hall," said one civil servant, Bariati, adding that usually it took her about an hour to get to the office.

Apart from city employees, a number of banks have also reduced their opening times for Ramadhan.

City-owned Bank DKI, for example, now opens from 8:15 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. every Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, the bank closes even earlier, at 2:15 p.m. It's normal opening hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At BCA branches, customers are warned that counters are only open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. instead of from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, Kiki from Bank Danamon said that employees were starting work at 8 a.m. as usual, but they could go home at 4 p.m. instead of at 5 p.m.

Ernawati, a customer service officer with Lippobank, however, said that her bank had not reduced its office hours during Ramadhan.

"We still have to come to the office at 8 a.m. and the tellers start work at 8:30 a.m.

"The tellers close their counters at 3 p.m. and we all go home at 5 p.m." she said.

Ernawati said that her bank had in the past reduced office hours during Ramadhan, but had been applying normal working hours "for the past couple of years."