Work From Home Deemed a Temporary Solution to Anticipate Impact of Global Energy Turmoil

The government prioritises maintaining the quality of education. The work from home (WFH) policy is considered a short-term step to dampen the impact of rising energy prices due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. However, the policy is deemed insufficient to address the structural challenges in the energy sector in the long term. Public policy observer Harryadin Mahardika believes that the implementation of WFH, although limited, can help suppress fuel consumption, particularly in the transportation sector. “WFH for one day could be a temporary solution to anticipate the rise in fuel and gas prices due to the war in the Middle East,” he said when contacted on Thursday (26/3). Nevertheless, he emphasised that the policy cannot be made a long-term strategy. The government, he said, needs to accelerate energy transition steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels that are vulnerable to global turmoil. “For the long term, the government must accelerate the energy transition programme, both for power generation and motor vehicles,” said Harryadin. Furthermore, he reminded that middle- to lower-income groups will be the most affected if energy prices rise. Therefore, social protection policies are deemed necessary to be more targeted. One suggested option is to expand subsidies for electric vehicles, especially two-wheeled ones, which are considered more affordable and relevant to the wider community. “The lower middle class will be most affected by the rise in fuel prices. The government should focus on subsidies for two-wheeled electric vehicles,” he said. On the other hand, Harryadin also believes the government needs to consider diversifying energy supply sources, including opening opportunities for imports from other countries to maintain domestic price stability. According to him, such steps need to be carefully studied as part of the strategy to maintain national energy resilience amid global uncertainties. “The government must dare to add fuel import sources from countries like Russia and Iran,” he concluded. Besides the WFH policy, observers emphasise the importance of government spending efficiency, particularly on major programmes. If the WFH policy is reimplemented, clear technical arrangements are needed in every regional apparatus. All regional apparatuses are asked to ensure that services to the public continue to run normally during the implementation of WFH, especially in service units that directly interact with the public. The IESR considers the government’s plan to implement one day of work from home or WFH per week as a rational response amid pressure on global energy prices and supplies.