Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Coordinator for Industry and Development, Rachmat Gobel said that concrete steps from the government are required to provide the people’s need of energy, especially in the remote regions. Gobel raised this issue as a point on the agenda of meeting with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif at his office at Nusantara III, Parliament complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday (22/6/2020).

“One of the current problems faced by Indonesia is the uneven distribution of energy supplies in some regions due to geographic factor or hard-to-reach-areas. Concrete steps from the government therefore are required to meet energy needs for people living in rural areas.” explained Gobel.

He went on saying that lighting is not the only services that electricity could provide. It should be more than that. Electricity should indirectly unlock the economic potential of a family, a region and Indonesia’s underdeveloped and outer regions.

“Should electricity supply be sufficient, people will become productive and the economic potential of families will be developed. Therefore, the standard of living and welfare will improve. In the end, regional income will also grow.” stated the politician from National Democrat Party.

In the previous term of office, the government was committed to providing electricity supply of 35,000 Megawatt (MW) within a period of 5 years (2014-2019). Meanwhile, state -owned electricity company (PLN) has developed its 2019-2028 Electricity Procurement Plan (RUPTL) with the additional electricity infrastructure planned to be built until 2028. The additional electricity infrastructure included the RUPTL are: 56,395 MW capacity of power plants, 57,293 kilometers of transmission networks, 124,341 MVA of Substations, 472,795 kilometers distribution networks, and 33,730 MVA distribution station.