744 Families In East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan Get Free Electricity Savings Program

PT PLN (Persero) has connected free Electricity New Installation Assistance (BPBL) to 744 underprivileged households in Kota Besi District, East Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said PLN was ready to make the BPBL program a real support for State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) pursuing the target of an electrification ratio of 100 percent by 2024.

"PLN is ready to carry out its noble duties as a driver in the electricity sector, and is ready to cooperate with all stakeholders and strategic partners to realize the 100 percent electrification ratio," said Darmawan.

Darmawan hopes that this BPBL program assistance will be useful for the community. Thus, the presence of electricity can provide a multiplier effect, namely encouraging improving the welfare of the community and the regional economy.

"I hope that the presence of electricity can bring goodness to rural communities such as a growing economy and improving the quality of education for children in the village," said Darmawan. In the inauguration ceremony of BPBL In East Kotawaringin Regency, Member of Commission VII DPR RI Iwan Kurniawan who was accompanied by General Manager of PLN Main Distribution Unit of South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan (UID Kalselteng), Muhammad Joharifin expressed his appreciation to all parties for the realization of this BPBL program. Iwan also encouraged the program targeting underprivileged families in the frontier, remote and disadvantaged regions (3T) to people who have not been able to enjoy electricity.

"We agree that electricity is a basic necessity that should be enjoyed by all levels of society, so let's work together so that electricity can enter remote areas and to all levels of society," said Iwan.

Secretary of the Directorate General of Electricity, Ida Nuryatin Finahari, said that the BPBL program is the government's effort to equalize electricity by helping people unable to get electricity connections for free. The government targets that by 2023 the BPBL program can distribute to 125 thousand target households throughout Indonesia.

"This is still early, because in 2023, BPBL will connect 125 thousand households throughout Indonesia and for Central Kalimantan to get an allocation of 4,890 households receiving the benefits of this free electricity installation," said Ida.

Ida added, in addition to the electricity connection, the recipient community of the BPBL program will get an electrical installation of three lights and 1 stop contact, inspection and installation testing set in the Operational LIKE Certificate (SLO), connection to PLN, and the first electric token.

"We all hope that this program will provide more benefits and can improve the standard of living for more productive economic activities," said Ida.