Letter: Power shortage

I refer to a news report titled “President vows end to blackouts,” (the Post, July 28).

This is a sour joke! Take the situation in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT): it is now 10 years that the city and surrounding areas have had to cope with lengthy power outages or no power at all for days!

Although state-owned power company PLN and the government of Kupang have rented generators from the private sector, the situation has only marginally improved. It is certainly not sufficiently reliable to attract the much needed investment to develop NTT.

Businesses are closing because of the lack of reliable power supply. Nobody, under these conditions, will start up a business. I believe that SBY is being told what he wants to hear.

Privatization of the power sector is urgently needed. It is obvious that PLN, with its government-mentality of running a business, is unfit to provide the country with electricity.

Henry Manoe
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara