Indonesia Rations Fuel, Orders Remote Work to Save Energy

Indonesia announced measures on Tuesday to ration fuel and mandate remote work for civil servants, aiming to preserve national energy reserves as global oil prices surge due to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The policies, effective Wednesday and subject to review every two months, respond to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has halted since the war began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto outlined the initiatives during a virtual news conference from Seoul. Private vehicle owners will be limited to 50 liters of fuel per day to ensure equitable distribution. For government operations, civil servants will work from home every Friday, official vehicle use will be halved, and business travel for officials will be reduced by up to 70 percent. These steps exclude personnel in essential sectors such as healthcare, security, energy management, and food and water distribution.

The government projects savings of 121 to 130 trillion rupiah, equivalent to 7.1 billion to 7.6 billion U.S. dollars, which will help stabilize supply chains and ease fiscal pressures. Indonesia, Southeast Asia's...