4-day work weeks, balancing, dressing: How some Asian countries are dealing with the Iran oil crisis
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An extra day off work every week sounds good, right? But Sri Lanka’s announcement of a public holiday every Wednesday for the foreseeable future has nothing to do with work-life balance – rather, it’s about oil.
The Indian Ocean island nation is facing fuel shortages due to the US-led and Israeli-led conflict with Iran, which has retaliated by blocking most tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for transporting oil and other fuels from the Middle East.
Attacks on production facilities in the region, as well as oil tankers, have contributed to rising prices and dwindling exports.
Much of what is produced in the Middle East is exported to Asian countries, so Sri Lanka is not alone in facing a shortage of fuel needed to run daily life.
Here’s how some Asian countries are adapting to the fuel shortage and what they’re asking citizens to do to save resources.
Crude oil prices continue to rise amid the US-Israel war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, increasing costs at home for Canadians.
4 day weeks and you work from home
In Sri LankaPresident Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced a special government holiday every Wednesday in an emergency meeting on Monday, where he told senior officials, “We have to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best,” according to the BBC.
The holiday will apply to public institutions, from government offices to schools and universities, but will not include essential services.
The government also encourages civil servants to work from home if possible, and urges private companies to also accept this weekly holiday.
Office jobs are shrinking in some Asian countries.
Government officials in Philippines they also switched to a four-day working week to reduce fuel consumption, as it aims to reduce the government’s electricity consumption by a fifth. Office workers there have been told to turn off their computers during breaks.
The government in Vietnam He urged people to work at home.
Thai workers have been urged to wear short sleeves
Likewise, ThailandThe government has implemented rules that allow civil servants to work from home, while asking those who still work in offices to take the stairs instead of elevators.
It doesn’t help that Bangkok is currently under a heat warning, forecast to reach 33 C on Wednesday but feel like 40 C in the humidity.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Area has set up about 300 air-conditioned cooling centers to help residents and visitors cope with the extreme heat, and more than 2,800 free water refill stations.
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But as the country’s energy resources dwindle, the government also wants its workers to rely less on air conditioning – even suggesting that office workers ditch their suits and wear short-sleeved shirts to stay cool.
It has also issued guidelines that office air conditioning should be set to less than 26 C.
“This is another way to help the nation,” Thai broadcaster Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth said.
Downsizing the kitchen
India prioritizing domestic needs with its limited supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is mainly used in the country for cooking and fueling cars.
Under the government’s plan to keep costs down for poor households, the government has absorbed more than half of the price hikes caused by disruptions in global markets, said Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Shortages are already being felt in restaurants and hotels in India – the world’s second-largest importer of LPG – as kitchens reduce hours, temporarily close or cut back boiling curries and fried snacks from their menus.
Ratings and reserves
Besides asking their residents to help, countries also control how their fuel is used.
Sri Lanka started fuel rationing on Sunday, requiring drivers to register for a National Fuel Pass and limiting gas and diesel purchases to 15 liters per person per week.
Vietnam has asked refineries and distributors to keep fuel supplies high, while Thailand has extended its oil reserves by nearly two months and is seeking alternative domestic energy sources.
Both countries, like India, use price bases to protect households from rising costs.
Thailand has also suspended exports to protect its limited reserves, causing shortages in neighboring countries In Cambodia – where nearly a third of the nearly 6,000 gas stations are closed.
South Korea plans to release 22.46 million barrels from reserves as part of the International Energy Agency’s 400 million barrel release, announced last week.
Currently, Japan began releasing 45 days worth of oil reserves this week to prevent oil prices from rising as crude imports slow. It last issued sanctions after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Andrew Chang explains how Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a key oil shipping route to the Middle East – is affecting energy costs here in Canada. Photos provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
