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PLN faces lawsuits, complaints following major blackout
The massive blackout that hit the western part of Java on Sunday has taken its toll on millions of affected customers, many of whom complained over how the hours-long power outage had disrupted their lives
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he massive blackout that hit the western part of Java on Sunday has taken its toll on millions of affected customers, many of whom complained over how the hours-long power outage had disrupted their lives.
While many citizens decided to let their frustration go after the power returned to normal, some members of the public have taken their anger to another level as they decided to sue state electricity firm PLN.
Groups of affected citizens have filed lawsuits against PLN with the South Jakarta District Court, criticizing the firm for its substandard services and demanding that PLN provide compensation for the loss they suffered during the power outage.
South Jakarta residents Ariyo Bimo and Petrus Bello submitted their lawsuit to the court on Thursday, demanding compensation from PLN as the blackout had led to the death of their beloved koi fish.
David Tobing, a lawyer who represented the two Jakartans, said the sudden power outage had shut down the aerator machines in his clients’ fish ponds, subsequently asphyxiating the koi.
The two plaintiffs demanded total compensation of Rp 11.1 million (US$780.85) for the death of their fish.
“PLN has violated the law by failing to fulfill its legal duty to provide the public with electricity and competent customer service in accordance with excellence quality standards,” David said.
He said PLN had violated Article 29 of the 2009 law on electricity and therefore should provide Ariyo and Petrus with compensation as stipulated in Article 19 of the 1999 law on consumer protection.
The 2009 law stipulates that consumers have the right to uninterrupted electricity and they are also entitled to compensation for power outages caused by an operator’s mishap.
Sunday’s power outage hit Greater Jakarta and several cities in Java, affecting around 21.3 million customers, paralyzing train services and disrupting communications networks and businesses.
Although PLN said it would compensate affected customers in accordance with the existing regulations, many members of the public were still left unsatisfied with how the firm handled the crisis.
Lawyers grouped under the Indonesian Young Advocates Forum (FAMI) also filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday against PLN with the South Jakarta District Court, demanding financial compensation of Rp 313 trillion on behalf of all affected customers.
The lawsuit also put the blame on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry as well as the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry for the blackout.
“We demand that [PLN] provide a total of Rp 313 trillion in compensation, comprising Rp 213 trillion covering material losses and Rp 100 trillion for immaterial losses,” FAMI head Zenuri Makroji said as quoted by kompas.com.
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) have set up a crisis center for citizens who wish to file a complaint or file a lawsuit against PLN. They have received 11 complaints so far.
“These people asked us about the legal mechanism of filing a lawsuit against PLN, as well as what kind of legal aid we would provide should they choose to take their issues to court,” YLBHI director Arif Maulana told The Jakarta Post.
In response to the series of lawsuits from the blackout victims, PLN strategic procurement 2 director Djoko Abumanan said the firm would comply with any regulations related to lawsuits from customers.
“As both consumer groups said that lawsuits from customers were regulated in the law, PLN will comply with any of the results. PLN will comply,” Djoko said on Thursday.
Using the opportunity, energy experts have called for a comprehensive audit of PLN’s corporate governance as well as its electricity system to prevent such a mishap from reoccurring.
“A systematic and comprehensive audit [is needed]. Such an audit has yet to be performed,” energy analyst Elrika Hamdi of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said. (asp)
