The government has pledged to settle the remaining Rp38 trillion in debt at the end of August or early September, 2020
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has paid just Rp7 trillion of the Rp45 trillion in debt it owes to state electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), the company's president director, Zulkifli Zaini, said.

"The government has pledged to settle the remaining Rp38 trillion in debt at the end of August or early September, 2020," Zaini said during a hearing at the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Tuesday.

The debt of Rp45 trillion has accrued from tariff compensation burdens amounting to Rp23.17 trillion in 2018 and Rp22.5 trillion in 2019, he explained.

In the meantime, member of Commission VII of DPR, Mulan Jameela, inquired about PLN's debts amounting to Rp694 trillion and its strategy to tide over the financial problem.

Based on its first-quarter financial statement, PLN's long-term debts have reached Rp537 trillion and its short-term debts have touched Rp157.79 trillion, taking the company's total debts to Rp694.79 trillion, she said.

"Can PLN assure national electricity supply without raising electricity tariffs?” she asked.

In the meantime, the government last March said it would not charge electricity tariff from 450-volt-ampere (VA) household customers in April, May, and June bills under the stimuli to revive the economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

"Some 24 million 450-VA household customers will not be charged electricity tariff for the subsequent three months," Jokowi remarked during a videoconference from the Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on March 31, 2020.

Jokowi revealed that the government will offer a 50-percent discount in the electricity bills for 900-VA customers for April, May, and June. (INE)


Related news: PLN, PT SAG to produce cement from power plant waste

Related news: Ministry holds virtual meeting with PLN customers over bill surge

EDITED BY INE

Translator: Afut Syafril N/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020