In efforts to cut power consumption and prevent blackouts, the government has announced a decree on energy saving that obliges manufacturers to shift working hours two days per month to the weekend.
The decree, signed by five ministers, will take force for companies in Java and Bali starting July 21.
"With the decree, moving the businesses' operating hours to Saturday or Sunday is a must for the manufacturers," Industrial Minister Fahmi Idris told reporters Monday.
The decree formed over the last two weeks was signed by Fahmi, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Soeparno, Home Minister Mardiyanto and State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil at the vice presidential office.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the decree would initially apply to companies consuming high amounts of electricity but employing few workers.
"It must be focused first on the companies using lots of electricity but employing fewer workers such as steel factories or foundries," he said.
He said that with the decree, there would no longer be blackouts for companies operating mainly in Java and Bali.
"If the implementation of the decree could save about 500-600 megawatts (MW) of power, I believe there will no longer be blackouts here," he said.
Kalla told the business community attending the signing ceremony that the government would soon increase the power supply in the country.
He said that from March to December next year, there would be an additional supply of up to 2,000 MW of electricity.
"Thus, if the implementation of the decree could save about 600 MW, we will have an additional power supply of 2,600 MW," he said.
The government earlier said shifting working days to the weekend was necessary since there were about 1,000 megawatts of idle power capacity of Saturday and Sunday.
Fahmi said the state electricity company PLN together with the Home Ministry would soon distribute schedules for companies to determine when firms should shift operating hours.
"PLN, however, is still drafting sanctions for the companies violating the decree," he said.
Chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Sofyan Wanandi said the business community needed certainty in the implementation of the decree.
"We want regents or mayors and PLN who would implement the decree to ensure the electricity supply to companies," he told reporters at the vice presidential office.
Kalla said the government would also launch a second phase of energy saving aimed at offices, shopping malls and households.
"All the offices must have special energy inspectors to monitor the use of electricity. If this happens, no more lights would be on at 10 p.m. in offices," he said.
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