Receive PMN Rp5 Trillion, PLN Brings Good News: Will Be Used For Village Electricity Program

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The State Electricity Company (Persero) or PLN has officially received State Equity Participation (PMN) of Rp 5 trillion. The funding is allocated to build electricity infrastructure, one of which is the village electricity program.

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir expressed his gratitude for PMN's support for PLN. Erick said PMN is a trust that must be carried out as well as possible.

"This is a belief that the government is here to solve the problems we face together. And of course we have to restore that trust," he said, in Jakarta, quoted Friday, December 31.

Meanwhile, the President Director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo, thanked and appreciated the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of SOEs for their support so that PLN received a PMN for 2021 of IDR 5 trillion. PLN is also ready to realize these funds in an efficient, accountable and responsible manner.

"PMN funds are an important part where the state is present, because many programs from PLN are aimed at alleviating poverty in remote areas. PLN is ready to run so that these funds are truly beneficial to the community," he said.

Darmawan said PMN funds provided by the government would be used to build electricity infrastructure, including for the Village Electricity program.

"Commercially, this investment is not very visible. But here the state is present in implementing the 5th precepts of Pancasila, providing an assistance of IDR 5 trillion so that these programs become superior programs with social justice," he said.

Not only that, Darmawan is optimistic that the increase in the availability of electricity infrastructure and the quality of electricity distribution will have a positive impact on employment, taxes and economic growth in the real sector.

"Our efforts to increase electrification can be seen from the electrification ratio which has always increased since 2015 (88.3 percent) until 2021 which has reached (99.4 percent)," he said.

Darmawan said that during the 2016-2021 period PLN received cash PMN of IDR 40.06 trillion, equivalent to 9.7 percent with a total cash investment of IDR 411.66 trillion (funding for work uses PLN's budget excluding IPP investment).

"This fund is very helpful for PLN, where previously our decision was only based on a commercial point of view that could consider social justice for all Indonesian people," he said.

On the same occasion, the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati requested that the use of PMN be carried out by SOEs in an accountable and transparent manner. Because PMN comes from state money, so it must be conveyed whether the benefits of PMN are appropriate compared to the burden that will be borne by the state in accounting for its budget.

"So Rp 5 trillion (for PLN) should not be like throwing salt into the sea. I ask for accountability for what Rp 5 trillion is. So we are both responsible to the community," said Sri Mulyani.

Sri Mulyani hopes that the disbursement of PMN funds at the end of 2021 can be a start for PLN's performance to be more accountable, use public funds in a professional and accountable manner.