President Jokowi Meets Power Plant Investors

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) held a meeting with some 150 power plant investors at the State Palace on Tuesday to discuss efforts to accelerate the development of projects to generate 35 thousand megawatts (MW) electricity.

"In todays meeting, I want to emphasize again that the power projects to generate 35 thousand MW of electricity are needed. It is not a small figure, and therefore, I always closely monitor the developments in the projects. I always summon the president director of the state-owned electricity firm (PLN) and the relevant minister," the president stated while addressing the investors at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Jokowi emphasized that issues related to electricity were not only the concern of the PLN but also the state. He expressed optimism that the issue of electricity shortage in the country would be resolved soon.

"Each time I visit different regions, I always hear the same complaints about power cuts and shortage of electricity. This is not the fault of the PLN director and the minister, but such a problem should be solved," remarked the president.

Jokowi also stated that the requirement for 35 thousand MW of electricity must be met, and thus, the government had deregulated the rules to accelerate development to achieve the target.

"We are able to develop projects to generate 35 thousand MW of electricity. If the permit issuance process is too complicated and lengthy, the bureaucratic procedures should be cut short. That is what we are doing now," he explained.

The president also expressed relief on learning that the agreements related to the power projects to generate 17,300 MW of electricity of the targeted 35 thousand MW had been signed.

"I have received a report that until the end of this year, agreements on projects, with a total capacity of 17,300 MW, had been signed. I think if we can reach 10 thousand MW this year, the 35 thousand MW target (by 2019) could be achieved," the president emphasized.

On the occasion, the president also individually sought the commitment of the investors attending the meeting to realize the projects, with a total capacity of 35 thousand MW by 2019.

An investor of a geothermal power plant in the province said the project would be completed by the end of 2019, but the president had urged to expedite it.

"Can we work day and night? The people are awaiting the realization of the projects. I have to face flak with regard to it," Jokowi affirmed.

The president also urged a Japanese investor who is developing a power plant in Batang, Central Java, to achieve the target of realizing it in 2020.

"Our plan is to complete it in March 2020 as long as the land clearance process could have already been completed by now," said the representative of the Trunk power plant.

The president acknowledged that the delay in the land acquisition process had hindered the development of the Batang power plant as land clearance could be completed only after four years. However, it did not mean that it could not be accelerated.

"I want it to be completed before 2020. It should be in 2019. I know that (the investors) from Japan are facing a slight delay (as the process has been hindered due to land acquisition), but I want it to be accelerated. If the work is carried out round the clock, I think it can be achieved," the president emphasized.

On the presidents request, the Japanese investor affirmed that efforts would be made to complete the project by 2019.

Jokowi reiterated his promise to help investors, including in the land acquisition process, so that the projects to generate 35 thousand MW of electricity would be completed on time. (WDY)