Children play around electric poles after school in Kwanko village, Dompu Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The village is among 1,000 villages in NTB that have enjoyed electricity from extensive electrification expansion (Source: jakartapost)Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Government plans to invest at least1,260 billion Rp (76.14 million USD) in electrifying 433 remote villages in thecountry’s four most impoverished provinces in 2020.
Speaking at a recent Cabinet meeting, President Joko Widodosaid that the programme is part of efforts to provide electricity for theentire population this year.
State-owned electricity firm PLN pledged to deploy newtechnology in mapping and electrifying the 433 remote villages in Papua, WestPapua, East Nusa Tenggara and Maluku.
PLN achieved a 98.89 percent ratio last year but it isstruggling to cover the last mile, mainly due to logistical hurdles in theworld’s largest archipelago.
“Once things return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic,we will execute the programme,” said PLN president director Zulkifli Zainiafter the meeting. “In fact, if possible, we want most of the 433 villageselectrified by August 17,” which is Indonesia’s Independence Day.
To that end, the state electricity company plans to deploynew mapping technology in charting the hard-to-access villages, including theirpower needs and most readily available energy sources. Many of the targetedvillages in Papua are located in densely forested mountain areas./.
VNA
