Some government employees in the capital of Indonesia started working from home on Monday as part of initiatives to ease traffic congestion and lessen the terrible air pollution that has gripped the city and is thought to be the cause of President Joko Widodo‘s ongoing cough.
With a population of 10.5 million, the megacity of Jakarta has seen its air quality worsen to alarming levels recently. On August 9, the Swiss technology company IQAir named Jakarta the most polluted city in the world.
Widodo has called for urgent government action, and on August 14 he presided over an emergency cabinet meeting with ministers to tackle the deteriorating air quality. He also made an appeal to workers in the capital to reduce traffic by working from home.
“The air quality in the Greater Jakarta Area has been very, very bad,” remarked Widodo. “Pollution levels have increased due to the prolonged dry season, which has lasted for the past three months… We will promote a hybrid work system in offices, which combines on-site and remote work, if it is judged required.
Heru Budi Hartono, the interim governor of Jakarta, issued an order mandating that half of the public service begin working from home on Monday. From September through October 21, the percentage of employees who work from home would progressively rise to 75%.
According to Sigit Wijatmoko, a spokeswoman for the Jakarta provincial government, the restriction will only apply to government offices and not to hospitals, fire and rescue services, or public transportation.
According to Wijatmoko, “work from home arrangements won’t disrupt public services,” in remarks carried by CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia. The work will go on.
Distance learning will be required of students at nearby schools starting in September, noted Wijatmoko.
The 43rd ASEAN Summit, which will take place at the Jakarta Convention Centre in early September, is putting pressure on Indonesian politicians. Ten Southeast Asian nations are part of the regional bloc known as ASEAN, many of which have long struggled with high pollution levels in their major cities.
President Widodo’s cough has been bothering him for weeks, according to ministers in the Southeast Asian nation, who also claimed it might be due to the deteriorating air quality in Jakarta.
According to experts, industry, coal-fired power plants, and traffic jams all contribute to the air pollution that has long plagued the Greater Jakarta area.
Sandiaga Uno, the minister of tourism, told reporters following last week’s emergency cabinet meeting that the government was considering “concrete steps” to long-term improve Jakarta’s air quality.
Sandiaga Uno, the minister of tourism, earlier remarked, “If we look at Beijing’s success, I am very confident that with the collaboration of local governments and businesses, we can also improve the air quality in Jakarta.” She was referring to the Chinese government’s success in doing the same in its capital.
The health costs of Indonesia’s air pollution cannot be understated, experts previously told CNN.