JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Director of the State-owned Power Company PT PLN for Java-Bali, Murtaqi Syamsudin stated that PLN will give a 10% compensation from the fixed electricity tariff. The compensation is given to customers who suffer the blackouts in Jakarta and surrounding.

"We have standards of service quality. If the service is below the set standard then PLC will be sanctioned and must give compensation to the customers who suffered blackouts," said Murtaqi.

Besides committing to offer compensation to customers, PLN tries to resolve the electricity crisis in Jakarta and its surroundings immediately. Thus, for normalizing the power supply, transformators installment at the Cawang Power Station, East Jakarta is being done by the company.

It is also purchasing electricity from Cikarang Listrindo as much as 100 MW and from PT Bekasi Power Jababeka 37 MW. Those purchases hopefully will reduce the electricity deficit which is currently around 100-120 MW. For the time being some customers from West Jakarta, South Jakarta, Central Jakarta, East Jakarta, and Bekasi are experiencing blackouts.

An Apology

Tuesday, At the Vice-President's palace, State Minister for State Enterprises (ESDM) Mustafa Abubakar and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh, representing the government apologized to the customers for the regulated blackouts.

They promised that the deadline for Cawang Power Station's repair would be sped up from the start of the third week of December to the first week.

"Both of us, in the name of the government, apologize to all consumers for the current electricity crisis. There has been a progress in the resolution though the blackouts cannot be entirely avoided yet," said Mustafa Abubakar accompanied by Zahedy Saleh.

The focus required

According to Indonesian Employers Association Chief, Anton Supit, the electricity problem is no longer restricted to just PLN to blame. "We can't just scold the PLN, while the government doesn't intervene," said Anton.

Thus, the 100-day program was supposed to focus on energy procurement. A comprehensive policy regarding electric power is required. The make-shift policies are not the solution.

According to Rahmat Gobel - Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice chairman for Industry, Research, and Technology - a faster procurement of electric power must be done. This momentum could cause investors to divert their funds if there is no assurance for electric power.

"Investors must surely calculate energy cost if they have to buy fuel for generators. If this continues, they can divert their funds to neighboring countries," said Rahmat. (EVY/HAR/OSA/C17-09)