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arch 11, p. 2

Indonesia is planning to merge its three different time zones into one in an effort to increase the country’s economic competitiveness and bureaucratic efficiency.

Indonesia lies in three time zones, GMT+7, GMT+8 and GMT+9. Under the so-called GMT+8 Program, Indonesia will change the whole country over to the GMT+8 time zone.

Your comments:

It sounds good, but let’s talk about energy usage. A single time zone won’t be energy efficient, because more electricity is used for lighting and appliances in the morning (formerly western Indonesian time) and evening (formerly eastern Indonesian time). Assuming we will use Central Indonesian Time. Am I correct?
Ary Himawan S
Jakarta

Living in Jakarta and working in Maluku the idea of one time zone (GMT+8) would surely benefit the efficiency of our operations.

However, in Maluku that would mean they would have to work in the dark. With our notorious electricity issues there may, in the end, be no benefits in efficiency.
Asher Tauran
Jakarta

I don’t think a single time zone is necessary for the sake of saving trillions of rupiah. What weird excuses the government uses. Can they not think of other more relevant matters to tackle, such as the mechanism of our bureaucracy, systemic corruption issues — those sorts of things that are pivotal points a government should address rather than blaming the time zone?
Janne Siregar
Denpasar

Most of us Indonesians, especially the bureaucrats, have been applying jam karet (rubber time) for as long as we can remember. A single time zone won’t change anything!
Tami Koestomo
Bogor, West Java

I support the call by the KP3EI to merge the time zones, or at least move Java and Sumatra ahead to GMT+8.  There are multiple benefits:

Jakarta’s work day would be in line with Singapore, which is one hour ahead of Jakarta despite being further west. Sunlight would last an hour later, which has been proven in the US and elsewhere to reduce energy consumption. Later sunrises would mean the first adzan would be after 5 a.m. instead of before.

Less wastage of morning daylight by encouraging people to start work and the day’s activities sooner after sunrise.
Thomas Tan
Jakarta

I haven’t read the full story but it would be odd if it is really applied. You would experience total darkness at 5 p.m. in Papua.
Stenly Ungke Alelo
Papua