The Indonesian capital has ordered half of its civil servants to work from home to alleviate severe air pollution
In order to alleviate severe air pollution, some civil servants in the Indonesian capital Jakarta have been ordered to work from home since August 21st to reduce pollutant emissions caused by traffic congestion.
According to CNN on August 21st, starting from that day, more than half of Jakarta's civil servants will work from home. This policy is an emergency intervention implemented by the Indonesian government to alleviate severe air pollution in Jakarta.
In recent weeks, the air quality in Jakarta has deteriorated to "dangerous" levels. Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on the government to intervene urgently. He chaired an emergency cabinet meeting on August 14th to discuss the worsening air pollution problem and called on workers in the capital to work from home to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce pollutant emissions. Therefore, the Acting Governor of Jakarta Capital Region, Hru Budi Hatono, has ordered that half of the capital's civil servants will work from home starting from August 21st. From September to October 21st, the proportion of civil servants working from home will gradually increase to 75%. Jakarta Metropolitan Government spokesperson Vyatmako stated that the policy only applies to government agencies and will not be implemented in hospitals, fire and rescue services, or public transportation. "The arrangement of working from home will not have a negative impact on public services... work will continue," said Viatmoko.
According to an unnamed Indonesian government minister, Zoko has been suffering from coughing for weeks, which may be related to the worsening air pollution situation in Jakarta. "The air quality in the Greater Jakarta region is very poor," said Zoko. "The prolonged dry season of three months is the reason for the exacerbation of pollution levels... If necessary, we will advocate for various work units to adopt a mixed work mode, combining on-site work and remote work."
The 43rd ASEAN Summit will be held in early September at the Jakarta Convention Center. The summit is imminent, and pollution is becoming increasingly severe. Under the dual pressure, Indonesian officials feel heavy pressure. Vyatimoko stated that schools located near the main venues of the ASEAN Summit will also begin remote teaching from September.
After last week's emergency cabinet meeting, Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno told the media that the Indonesian government is considering specific measures to improve Jakarta's air quality in the long term. Previously, when discussing the measures taken by the Chinese government to prevent and control pollution, Uno once said, "With Beijing's successful pollution control precedent, I have great confidence in the improvement of air quality in Jakarta."
It is reported that Swiss technology company IQAir listed Jakarta as the most polluted city in the world on August 9th. Experts say that air pollution has been a serious problem plaguing the Greater Jakarta region due to factors such as emissions from factories and coal-fired power plants, as well as traffic congestion. The health damage suffered by 10.5 million local residents as a result should not be underestimated.