Myanmar’s military junta has instructed all state officers and staff to work from home every Wednesday in an effort to reduce fuel consumption.
In a statement released on the evening of 22 March, the junta directed officers and staff under its administration to work from home or from their dormitories instead of commuting to their offices.
The plan will take effect starting 25 March and will be implemented every Wednesday, according to the statement.
“This measure is intended to conserve fuel. Employees and personnel from government offices and departments are not permitted to travel outside their official duties or use vehicles on that day,” the statement said.
“I have my doubts about the work-from-home system,” said a civil servant in the capital. “Most of our government work is still paper-based and not yet digitized. Even though they’ve designated Wednesdays for remote work, I think we will probably still have to show up in person.”
In addition, private sector organizations have been encouraged to adopt work-from-home arrangements as much as possible, similar to government offices under the junta.
Alongside this announcement, the Ministry of Energy stated that it has secured a 50-day fuel reserve and is working to import additional supplies through alternative routes, in addition to regular channels.
The ministry also announced that the current fuel distribution system will be revised. Starting next week, a new system will limit the amount of fuel that can be purchased weekly based on a vehicle’s engine capacity. This allocation may be purchased either in a single transaction or split into a maximum of two instalments.
Due to the ongoing fuel shortage, some domestic airlines have suspended operations, while rising fuel prices have led to increased airfares.
Long queues have been reported at gas stations. In Naypyidaw, the administrative capital where the junta is based, fuel purchases are currently capped at 50,000 kyats for cars, 10,000 kyats for three-wheeled taxis, and 5,000 kyats for motorcycles.
To further conserve fuel amid global supply pressures linked to conflicts in the Middle East, the junta has implemented a vehicle restriction system.
Private vehicles with even-numbered license plates are allowed to operate on even days, while those with odd-numbered plates may operate on odd days. Electric vehicles are exempt from this rule. Additionally, fuel purchases are limited to once per day per vehicle using a QR code system.
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