PLN allocates Rp 2.53t to provide electricity in Papua, Maluku

By Nova Farida

State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has allocated Rp 2.53 trilling to provide electricity in remote villages in Papua, Papua Barat, Muluku and Maluku Utara provinces.

Haryanto WS, PLN Business Director for Papua and Maluku regions, said on Tuesday that the funds will among others be used to develop solar and diesel-fired power plants in the areas.

He said that Rp 1.81 trillion will be allocated for Papua and Rp 752 billion for Maluku. The company aims to provide electricity to 564 villages in Papua and 199 villages in Maluku.

Haryanto said that the greater amount of funds allocated for Papua was partly because the difficult geographical conditions in the region, boosting logistic costs. He added that PLN is also facing difficulties in assessing the number of power customers in the region.

Haryanto said that PLN aims to provide electricity to a total of 1,273 villages in Papua and 537 villages in the four provinces by 2019.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak