PLN Terangi 76,900 Kelurahan Villages Throughout Indonesia Use PMN

Electric illustration (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government together with PT PLN (Persero) throughout 2023 have succeeded in electrifying 76,900 villages and sub-districts throughout Indonesia as a commitment to realizing just electricity, especially in disadvantaged, frontier, outermost (3T) areas.

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo explained, as a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) which is mandated in national electricity, his party will continue to strive to support electricity equality as a basic need for the community.

"Currently, electricity is a primary need for the community. Therefore, together with the Government, we will continue to boost the distribution of electricity to the 3T region in accordance with the implementation of the fifth principle of Pancasila, so as to improve the welfare and quality of life of the Indonesian people," Darmawan said in a statement to the media, Friday, January 26.

Darmawan continued, with a total of 83,637 villages and sub-districts that have been electrified nationally, 76,900 of them are illuminated by PLN electricity through the village electricity program (lisdes). While the rest are sourced from non-PLN electricity as many as 3,885 villages and energy-efficient solar lights (LTSHE) as many as 2,852 villages, so that in 2023, the national electricityed village ratio (RDB) has reached 99.85 percent.

The periodic Achievements of PLN Electricity Villages in 2023 include the period in the first quarter (January-March) of 76,110 villages and sub-districts. PLN's efforts in this quarter were felt directly by the people in the Aru Islands. Through the State Capital Participation (PMN) fund, PLN built an electricity system for 2,192 households spread across 15 villages, depending on generators.

PLN continued efforts to illuminate Indonesia in the second quarter (April-June) with the realization of 76,546 villages and sub-districts, in the third quarter (July-September) reaching 76,679 villages and sub-districts, and in the fourth quarter it managed to increase to 76,900 villages and sub-districts.

In September 2023, a number of villages in Flores finally enjoyed electricity from PLN. Previously, PLN built an electricity network to connect access to electricity for remote villages in Flores, which had depended on generators.

Darmawan said that the Lisdes program was also in line with national steps in achieving the 100 percent Electrification Ratio. As of December 2023, the national Electrification Ratio reached 99.79 percent.

"To be able to complete this mandate is not an easy thing. Various obstacles to distance, weather, extreme topography are challenges that do not make PLN afraid in providing access to electricity to the entire community," said Darmawan.

PLN's joint government efforts to increase the electrification ratio as well as equalize access to electricity to the community are also carried out through the Electricity New Installation Assistance (BPBL) program. BPBL is a new electricity installation assistance program for underprivileged households including installing electrical power installations, operating-worthy certification costs (SLO), new connection fees to PLN to charging the initial electricity token.

Throughout 2023, PLN has succeeded in realizing this program to 131,600 households or exceeding the target of 125,000 households. BPBL recipients are households registered in the Social Welfare Integrated Data (DTKS) of the Ministry of Social Affairs domiciled in the 3T area, and/or based on the validation of village/lurah heads or officials at the level who deserve BPBL.