Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Semarang – Often you hear the news that the state owned electricity company PT PLN is loosing money. After investigation, it turns out that many people use electricity without paying, that is stealing it. After further study, the highest level of electricity leakage is at military complexes.

Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) board member, Tulus Abadi, gives the example of Jakarta, where the biggest leakage is in Kramat Jati, a military complex area.

“[Yes that is] correct. Not only in Jakarta, but also throughout Indonesia. Around these military complexes PLN electricity is leaking”, said Abadi speaking to journalists following a forum titled “Electricity Consumers Dialogue” at the Dharma Wanita building on Jalan Menterin Supeno in the East Java provincial capital of Semarang on Tuesday September 28.

It is for this reason he said, PT PLN always cooperates with the police when carrying out Operation Thunderclap. Abadi suspects that by themselves, PT PLN would not have the courage to act against residents in and around military complexes.

Furthermore explain Abadi, nationally, the level of electricity leakage stands at around 16 per cent. If calculated at 600 billion rupiah for each 1 per cent the total losses resulting from this theft are as high as 3 trillion rupiah per year. Leakage is the main cause of these losses.

Abadi also acknowledged that PT PLN’s performance has not been very good. The company is often sloppy in overcoming limitations of human resources and funds. They are also incapable of maintaining generators because they place Junior Technical School graduates as their operators.

“These generators are only maintained in technical terms. But not managed. As a consequence the machines wear out before their time, and this disrupts the quality of consumer services”, he said fierily. (nrl)

[Abridged translation by James Balowski.]