Govt to speed up establishment of electricity commission

The government plans to speed up the establishment of the electricity commission so that it would be able to function within a year after the introduction of the electricity law next year, Koran Tempo reported on Wednesday.

"Regulation related to the establishment of the electricity commission should be issued in 2004 at the latest," Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said in Jakarta on Tuesday following the government?s coordinating meeting on electricity.

He said that the establishment of the electricity commission was needed so that the liberalization of the electricity distribution activities in Java and Bali could be implemented as planned. " We hope the electricity market liberalization in certain areas could be implemented within the next seven years," he added.

The establishment of the electricity commission is an integral part of the government?s plan to liberalize the country?s electricity market. The commission will act as a watch dog in the supply of electricity to the public.

The free competition in the electricity supply and distribution will be regulated in the new electricity law, which is now being deliberated by House of Representatives (DPR). The government expects to introduce the new law next year. (*)