PLN is not transparent: Minister
Friday, September 29 2006 - 02:16 AM WIB
PLN have submitted proposals for several power projects recently in order to get guarantee from the government.
After attending a limited coordination meeting with Coordinating Minister for Economy in Jakarta on Thursday, Paskah said that apparently PLN has applied for government?s guarantee not only for the 10,000 megawatts (MW) projects, which have become the company's top priority, but also for other regular or minor projects.
According to Paskah, the PLN?s attitude, which is not transparent, can be seen when the company announced the $275 million Takalar coal-fired power plant in South Sulawesi, which will have a 2x100 MW capacity, and which will be financed by Spain.
Actually, this project has not yet been approved by the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas). PLN?s move is not in line with the government?s efforts to focus on building power plants that have a total capacity of 10,000 MW.
Meanwhile, PLN?s deputy director of the planning system Bambang Hermawanto said that in fact, several projects, which will be built by PLN and IPPs, were not included in the fast track program to build power plants.
All the projects, both fast track power plants and regular projects, Bambang said, were included in the PLN?s Business Plan to Provide Electricity until 2015.
?There is nothing that is outside the channel (program)," Bambang said. (*)