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Jakarta opts for remote working, learning to curb pollution
The remote working policy will apply to 50 percent of city employees who are not posted in direct public service positions starting next week until Oct. 21
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People take pictures of Jakarta from a high-rise building on June 6, 2023. (Antara/Fauzan)
T
he Jakarta administration will impose remote working for city employees and learning for students ahead of the ASEAN Summit in September, a move aimed to curb the severe air pollution that has been choking the city in recent months.
Jakarta has consistently ranked among the 10 most polluted cities globally since May, according to the data compiled by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Authorities have largely blamed the worsening air pollution on the prolonged dry season, which exacerbates pollution from motorized vehicles and industrial activities.
The city will start imposing the remote working policy for 50 percent of its employees next week until Oct. 21, said acting Jakarta Communication, Information and Statistics Agency head Sigit Wijatmoko.
“The arrangement will only apply to employees who don’t serve the public directly,” Sigit said on Wednesday. “We’ll make sure the remote working system won’t affect public services.”
The city employs around 200,000 people, of whom 30 percent are civil servants.
The remote working policy will then be expanded to 75 percent of city officials whose workplaces are in the vicinity of the ASEAN Summit venue, Sigit added. The summit is scheduled for Sept. 5 to 7 at the Jakarta Convention Center in South Jakarta.
