President warns of slow progress in 35GW power projects

President Joko Widodo has given warning for the slow progress in the development of the planned 35,000 MW power plant projects, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Saturday.

The paper quoted Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said as saying that the president has requested for a thorough evaluation of the project from tender process to management by state-owned electricity firm PT PLN.

?It?s slower than target. That?s why the president has given a warning, better to make a thorough evaluation,? Sudirman said.

The administration of President Joko Widodo has launched an ambitious five-year program to develop a combined 35,000 MW power plants until 2019 to help accelerate economic development. Of the target, about 25,000 MW would be developed by independent power producers, while the remainder by PLN.

Meanwhile, Nasri Sebayang, a director at PLN, said that the toughest problem in developing power plant projects is land acquisition. (*)