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Regrouping of PLN customers may push inflation up: BPS
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State-owned electricity company PLN technician checks meters at Daan Mogot low-cost apartments in West Jakarta on Nov. 15. (JP/Bangkit Jaya Putra)
T
he Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has warned that the regrouping of state-owned electricity PLN customers may push inflation up, although there would be no tariff increase.
Yunita Rusanti, the BPS' statistic, distribution and service deputy, said although the electricity tariff would not increase, the customers' regrouping would push electricity consumption because with the policy they would receive higher electrical power.
Yunita could not mention details about the agency’s estimation because it depended on how the regrouping would be implemented by the government, but she said the majority of PLN customers received 900 (volt-ampere) VA and 1,300 VA services, and their electrical powers would be increased to 5,500 VA.
Read also: Goverment seeks public opinion on PLN customers' regrouping“It remains to be seen how many households will receive more electrical power,” she said as reported by kontan.co.id on Wednesday.
Previously, Energy and Mineral Resources Deputy Minister Arcandra Tahar said the policy was meant to encourage customers to utilize electricity that had already been produced by the PLN.
PLN president director Sofyan Basir said after the regrouping, the customers with 1,300 VA, 2,200 VA, 3,500 VA and 4,400 VA would be able to access 5,500 VA electric power, while the electric power of customers with 900 VA, both subsidized and non-subsidized, as well as subsidized customers with 450 VA, would remain unchanged.
But later, PLN spokesman I Made Suprateka said the change in electrical power was optional for customers, meaning customers could reject the change. (bbn)
