Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Dahlan Iskan has asked the technical team to settle various problems and accelerate the development of the Pangkalan Susu-Langkat steam power plant (PLTU) project in North Sumatra.

Head of SOE Ministrys Public Relations and Protocol Affairs Faisal Halimi said here on Monday that in response to the ministers call, it was important for the technical team and other related elements to conduct a test and evaluation on the Pangkala Susu-Langkat PLTU project .

Faisal said that minister Dahlan on Sunday night held a meeting at the PLTU Pangkalan Susu - Langkat Hall, which lasted until the wee hours on Monday. The meeting was also attended by Hamansyah Purba (the PLTU project manager), Said (the projects mother transmission general manager), Dyananto (gerneral manager for North Sumatra area) and Lin of GPACK.

The minister expressed his hope that the meeting would provide a clear picture about the problems being faced in the development of the project.

"All need to be assessed to see the obstacles being faced and be evaluated to know what have to be done. For that we need to work fast to catch up the target," Minister Dahlan said.

The meeting lasted in a friendly atmosphere and was interspersed with a dialog in the Mandarin language between the minister and Lin. Dahlan was seen impressed with the meeting results where the technical team expressed its readiness to complete certain works in certain deadlines such as the work on pier, water installations, water treatment, coal handling, boilers, turbines, switch yard and transmission.

"What else, what urgent problems are there that need to be handled soon. If all can already be tested, just do it immediately. Regarding transmission, just report it immediately to me if there are towers which enter the plantation areas of a state firm (BUMN). If need be, just send me a text message or call me directly," the minister said.

The minister also asked the team to write on the whiteboard all details of the obstacles such as transmission problems and a number of towers which had been pulled down by the local people. He also asked the details of problems with regard to locations whose land had not yet obtained a license and had not yet received power supply, thereby delaying the testing works.

On a number of areas considered difficult to obtain land clearance for tower construction sites, Minister Dahlan asked the project executors to make approaches as well as possible, including efforts to ensure that the local people would not be disadvantaged.

"It should not happen that the people whose affected plantations or lands become disadvantaged by the project. I do not agree with it (if the interest of local people is harmed," the minister stressed.

(A014/KR-BSR/O001)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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