What Savings Measures Are Being Taken at the Ministry of Social Affairs

The Ministry of Social Affairs has stated that it will no longer conduct overseas official trips following the call for energy savings. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said the policy was decided during an internal meeting of the Ministry of Social Affairs. “For overseas trips, we are at zero per cent. So, we are no longer using official travel (overseas) from the Ministry of Social Affairs’ budget,” said Saifullah, or Gus Ipul, when met at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Monday, 6 April 2026. He said that overseas official trips are still permitted if the travel budget source is not from the Ministry of Social Affairs. “If we are invited and the costs are covered by the organising committee or inviter, then it’s allowed,” Saifullah stated. In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs has decided to limit domestic official trips. The estimated reduction in domestic travel activities will reach 50 to 70 per cent of the total allocation for the ministry’s travel budget in the 2026 state budget. Saifullah said the savings policy at the Ministry of Social Affairs is a follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto’s order to save energy. The savings instruction was issued due to the surge in global oil prices resulting from the war between the United States and Israel against Iran since late February 2026 until now. Global oil prices have already surpassed US$100 per barrel, far above the 2026 state budget assumption set at US$70 per barrel. According to Saifullah, from now on, the Ministry of Social Affairs will select domestic official trips that are truly important and make them a priority. “Now, we are optimising the implementation of meetings and official activities to be conducted online,” he said. Another effort for energy savings, according to Saifullah, is to limit the use of official vehicles in the Ministry of Social Affairs environment. “Except for operational purposes and electric vehicles,” he stated. The Ministry of Social Affairs is also limiting the use of electricity, gas, water, and others in the ministry’s office environment. Saifullah hopes that all workers at the Ministry of Social Affairs can use energy in the office more wisely.