Govt to pass new electricity bill in September

The government is expected to pass a new electricity bill next month, a top Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry  official told reporters Thursday morning.
 
“We expect to pass the bill next month at the end of the House of Representatives’ current sitting period,” said J. Purwono, the ministry’s director general for electricity and energy utilization.
 
He said the new bill might alter the current price of power.
 
“The bill will enable state power company PLN to impose a regional electricity tax,” Purwono said. He said the regional tax would require approval from the government and the House.
 
Currently, electricity rates are based on the allocated power capacity per customer. All customers with the same allocated power capacity pay the same electricity rates.
 
Under the region-based system, the rates could be determined by both the central government and the regional government.