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PLN shake-up `a possibility', says SOE minister
The government has formed an inter-ministerial team to evaluate the performance of state electricity monopoly PT PLN, widely criticized for an ongoing power shortage, in a move that could lead to a management shake-up
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T
he government has formed an inter-ministerial team to evaluate the performance of state electricity monopoly PT PLN, widely criticized for an ongoing power shortage, in a move that could lead to a management shake-up.
"We've formed an interdepartmental team consisting of officials from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and others, to evaluate PLN's performance," State SOE Minister Mustafa Abubakar said Friday.
"The team will also analyze PLN's management. If in the end it decides that we need to reshuffle PLN's top management, we'll be open to that possibility."
Mustafa said the current electricity crisis was the accumulated result of years of problems, adding efforts should have been put in place long ago to prevent it from happening.
The team is also drafting new regulations and financing schemes needed to resolve the electricity shortage.
Mustafa, however, declined to say who would likely replace PLN chief Fahmi Mochtar, saying he would wait for the results of the evaluation first.
Speculation is rife that one of the top candidates to replace Fahmi is Dahlan Iskandar, the renowned media tycoon behind the Jawa Pos media group. Dahlan also owns an independent power plant (IPP) in Kalimantan.
PLN has come under intense public scrutiny over its poor handling of the power sector. Rolling blackouts were implemented across Greater Jakarta after PLN's substation in Cawang Baru, East Jakarta, caught fire on Sept. 29.
Mustafa has given the PLN management a Dec. 1 deadline to resolve the situation.
Since 1998, electricity shortages have been the norm in Indonesia, with PLN unable to keep up with the ever-increasing demand, causing power deficits and frequent blackouts across the country.
