The Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Targets North Sumatra, Aceh And West Sumatra Electricity To Recover Today

Photo: Doc. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) reports that the improvement of networks and electricity systems in the Sumatra region of Aceh continues to increase. For this reason, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources targets electricity in the region to recover today, Saturday, December 6.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources explained that currently around 52 percent of the total 1.4 million PT PLN (Persero) customers in Aceh have been electrified.

Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, almost all areas or 99 percent of the region have returned to electricity or electricity has been distributed to 268,000 customers. Meanwhile, for the North Sumatra region, it is recorded that electricity has reached 87 percent of the total 544,000 customers.

"Mr. Minister, in accordance with the President's direction to accelerate the recovery of energy infrastructure in the three provinces, hopefully, God willing, this Saturday for the total affected customers, all electricity can be re-lented in their respective areas," Anggia told the media crew, quoted on Saturday, December 6.

However, this rapid recovery does not apply similarly to fuel supply. Anggia said that in general the fuel stock in the three areas was under controlled conditions. However, the process of distributing fuel still faces obstacles in the form of cut roads in various regions.

That way, currently the distribution process is being accelerated with various efforts including the transportation of fuel using drums to small jerry can be transported by motorbike.

"That's in South Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, especially near the Garoga river. That's what broke up and everything finished. In Sibolga it was also cut off, so now we are trying to find road access that can make it possible to pass using two-wheeled vehicles," explained Anggia.

Previously, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia said, to outsmart the distribution process, the government together with Pertamina diverted distribution by using jerry cans and tanks, both by sea and air.

Although in some areas Public Fuel Filling Stations (SPBU) has been operating, long queues of consumers are still visible. Bahlil also decided to relax the rules for using barcodes for Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, until conditions actually recovered.

Meanwhile, for LPG, distribution has returned, although not yet maximal. The distribution of LPG to Sibolga, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli, previously from Dumai, was diverted from West Sumatra.

"So West Sumatra is now a hub so that everything can be distributed. God willing, if the weather is good, Friday-Saturday everything can be better. Now for oil, fuel, I called the Regent (Central Tapanuli), Mr. Masinton (Pasaribu), that's 60 percent normal," said Bahlil.