JAKARTA: (Bernama) Indonesia may implement work-from-home arrangements as a precautionary measure to reduce fuel consumption amid rising global oil prices.
President Prabowo Subianto said some countries had already adopted similar measures to those used during the Covid-19 pandemic, including work-from-home arrangements.
Therefore, he tasked officials to study the possibility of adopting such steps to improve efficiency.
"I mean that in the coming days we can review this matter. I think we must also make efforts to save. I believe that in two to three years we will be very strong, but we must still reduce consumption,” he said during a plenary cabinet meeting, on Friday (March 14).
Prabowo said the government must remain vigilant over developments in Europe and West Asia, warning that higher fuel prices could have knock-on effects on food prices even though Indonesia’s basic food supply remains secure.
"Developments are taking place globally in regions such as Europe and the Middle East, and this will certainly affect us because it may influence fuel prices. Fuel prices can also affect food prices. Thank God we have secured our basic food supply,” he said.
The president also stressed the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline and expressed hope that the government could prevent the state budget deficit from widening.
"Our aspiration is that if possible we should not have a deficit. Our target is for the state budget to achieve a balanced budget, which would be ideal and I believe we can achieve it,” he said.
Prabowo added that the government is also accelerating plans to strengthen fuel reserves and urged officials to take proactive measures to anticipate potential global disruptions. - Bernama
