"As a follow-up to Mr. President's directive during the previous limited meeting, we have issued the circular letter regarding the adoption of the WFH system for the August 28 – September 7 period in connection with the holding of the summit," he informed.
Minister Anas made the statement after attending a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
The PAN-RB Minister dismissed speculations that the circular letter is aimed at lowering air pollution levels in Jakarta.
He said that his ministry has formulated the WFH policy to help the government prevent traffic congestion during the 43rd ASEAN Summit, which will take place in the capital city on September 5–7, 2023.
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The upcoming summit will be the second to be held under Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship this year. The previous summit took place in May in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara
"So, it (the circular letter) is not aimed at controlling air pollution," the minister reiterated.
Regarding the worsening air quality in Jakarta and its surrounding regions, he said that the government will continue to conduct a thorough study to determine whether the adoption of a WFH system would be an effective and efficient measure for reducing air pollution.
"During the limited meeting, it was decided that the government will first study the effectiveness of the WFH working system in reducing air pollution. This case is not the same as that of the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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