TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan guaranteed sufficient electricity supplies ahead of the Eid homecoming season.

“There’s a decline in electricity usage ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday,” Jonan said in Depok, West Java, on Thursday, June 15, 2017.

Based on reports from state-owned electricity company PLN, electricity usage prior to the Eid holiday declined from 24,000 megawatts to 16,000 megawatts, since many factories and industries have paused their operations.

Read: Energy Minister Jonan Ensures Adequate Stock of Fuel

“Electricity usages in some areas increased, but overall, the usage decreased,” Jonan explained.

Areas with increasing electricity usages include tourist destinations, such as Yogyakarta and Bali. Jonan added that several regions, such as North Sumatra, Central Sulawesi and Papua, are in alert status since their electricity supplies are depleting.

Based on evaluations, Jonan praised PLN for setting up a robust system to monitor electricity supplies.

“Some areas obtained additional 600 megawatts. There is no problem in Java and Bali,” he said.
PLN president director Sofyan Basir said that his company has made preparations to secure electricity supplies during the homecoming season.

“We have deployed teams during the Eid al-Fitr holiday who will standby for 24 hours in PLN’s coverage areas,” Sofyan said.

IMAM HAMDI