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Blackout compensation not enough: Ombudsman
The Indonesian Ombudsman urged state electricity firm PLN to do more than provide compensation after the massive blackout on Sunday.
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The Ombudsman Indonesia building (tribunnews.com/File)
The Indonesian Ombudsman has urged state electricity firm PLN to do more than just offer affected customers compensation as the impact of Sunday’s blackout was widespread, ranging from business losses to the death of pet fish.
“We believe the amount of the compensation offered to affected customers is too small, not enough to cover all of the losses they’ve suffered,” Ombudsman commissioner Alvin Lie said in a press conference Thursday.
The Ombudsman summoned representatives of PLN, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and two consumers association, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and Indonesia Consumers Community (KKI), to discuss the blackout's aftermath.
Alvin cited as an example a customer who suffered at least eight hours blackout and whose electricity capacity is 2,200 watts, for whom PLN will pay compensation of only around Rp 45,000 (US$3.17).
“Even then the compensation is only in the form of an electricity bill discount next month and the regulation stipulates that compensation be limited to five hours, even though the blackout lasted longer than that,” he said.
The YLKI and KKI backed the statement from the Ombudsman, saying customers' non-material losses should be included by PLN.
