PLN reports higher electricity sales

State-owned electricity company PT PLN said that electricity sales in January of this year increased by 7.54 percent compared to sales in the same month of last year amid rising demand.

PLN Head of Corporate Communications Agung Murdifi said in a statement obtained Wednesday that it was a relatively strong sales growth as monthly sales growth rate last year had never exceeded 3.7 percent.

?The total terra watt hour sold in January 2016 was 17.57 TWh while in January 2015 was only 16.34 TWh,? Agung said in the statement.

Agung explained that electricity demand from large industries was particularly strong during the period, growing by 2.28 percent from a contraction of 4.31 percent in December.

He said that the higher demand from large industries such as cement, textile, tire, steel, chemical and electronics among others was driven by the 4.1 percent electricity tariff reduction for the consumer category. He added that the economic policy package introduced by the government to help accelerate investment activities also contributed to the stronger power demand.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak