Jakarta. Indonesia has introduced stricter work-from-home (WFH) rules for civil servants, requiring them to activate location tracking features and respond to communications within five minutes during working hours.

The policy, announced by the Home Affairs Ministry, follows the government’s broader directive to implement weekly WFH for central and regional civil servants as part of efforts to reduce fuel consumption and save up to Rp 243.4 trillion ($14.3 billion) amid an ongoing energy crunch.

Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said on Tuesday the measures are intended to ensure discipline and productivity among employees working remotely, drawing on practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The goal is to ensure that civil servants genuinely carry out work-from-home duties,” Tito said.

Under the new rules, civil servants must remain on standby during working hours, respond promptly to calls or messages within five minutes, and keep their location services active to verify their presence.

Those who fail to respond to two consecutive calls will receive a verbal warning, while repeated violations may lead to written warnings, performance reviews, and administrative sanctions.

The WFH policy does not apply to essential public services that require direct interaction, such as healthcare, security, and sanitation. Strategic sectors—including industry, trade, transportation, and logistics—will also continue normal on-site operations.

The government said savings generated from the policy will be reallocated to priority programs in each region, with local administrations instructed to calculate potential efficiencies.

Implementation will be reviewed after two months through a tiered reporting system from regents and mayors to governors and ultimately the central government.

Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Rini Widyantini added that civil servant performance will be monitored through an e-performance system integrated with the National Civil Service Agency (BKN).

“For all civil servants, we will continue to conduct evaluations,” Rini said.

The WFH arrangement will be implemented once a week, every Friday, starting in April 2026, as Fridays are typically associated with lower work activity.

In addition to WFH, the government is rolling out broader mobility efficiency measures, including reducing the use of official vehicles by up to 50% — excluding operational and electric vehicles — cutting domestic business travel by 50%, and reducing international travel by up to 70%.

Another key policy is the introduction of a 50% biodiesel blend (B50) for subsidized diesel, expected to reduce fossil fuel imports and generate savings of more than Rp 48 trillion ($2.8 billion).