Government Plans To Raise Electricity Bills, The House Of Representatives: You Have No Heart

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) Anwar Idris disagreed with the government's plan to raise electricity bills due to the adjustment after slashing electricity subsidies.

Anwar asked the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to review the plan to increase the electricity bills. Because, the economic burden of the community in the pandemic is quite heavy.

"Currently, people's economic condition is still hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government's plan to release our electricity subsidies is very inhumane", Anwar said in a statement Monday, April 12.

Anwar asked the government to understand that the COVID-19 pandemic is having an adverse impact on people's economies. Many employees whose salaries are cut, exposed to layoffs, and many businesses are out of business.

"This must be properly realized by the government, not to make policies that are even more burdensome to the community. In this case, the government should be in the middle of the community to ease the burden, do not even add their burden by raising the electricity bills", he explained.

In a Working Meeting with the Budget Agency of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 7, the Director General of Electricity of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Rida Mulyana said that he was reviewing the proposed increase in electricity bills.

Rida said that for four years the government did not make adjustments on bills. That way, rising the bills can reduce the burden on government spending. If it is approved, the adjustments will be made in 2022.

"Later, whether this electricity bills raise at once or just for some groups of customers only. Whether it is adjusted at once or limited, we have prepared a scenario with the consequences of compensation or budget expenditure", said Rida.

Currently, the State Electricity Company (PLN) customers are divided into 38 groups. A total of 25 groups get subsidies, then the other 13 groups are non-subsidized which so far the rates have not been changed. Out of a total of 13 groups, there are a total of 42 million customers.

The government calculates, if the electricity price follows the economic price, then approximately, the additional electricity costs that must be paid by customers is around IDR 18.000 to IDR 31.000 per month. Determination of additional bills according to the group, ranging from 900 VA to 3300 VA.

"For non-subsidized 900 VA customers, the electricity bill averages IDR 166.000 per month. If indeed these adjustment bills are released, then the additional electricity cost rises IDR 18.000 per month, and so on", explained Rida.