President Prabowo Receives Report Regarding Strategic Developments in Energy Sector
President Prabowo Subianto, on Wednesday (10/14), summoned Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia to receive a report on several strategic developments in the energy sector at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. During the meeting, they discussed several issues covering the progress of the Draft Law on Oil and Gas (RUU Migas), an evaluation of power blackouts in several regions, and the condition of national fuel supply and distribution.
“I reported on several developments following my opening address on behalf of the President at the 41st Trade Expo in Tangerang. Second, I briefed the President on the progress of the discussions on the Draft Law on Oil and Gas,” said Bahlil in his statement to the members of press following the meeting.
Regarding the power disruptions or blackouts in several regions, Coordinating Minister Bahlil emphasized the importance of improving the quality of electricity services. According to him, more intensive improvements must be carried out at the implementation level, which falls under the responsibility of state-owned electricity company PT PLN (Persero).
“I also conveyed in the discussions what we have to do to carry out more intensive improvements in several regions, so that we can deliver the best service to our people,” he stated.
Coordinating Minister Bahlil revealed that the power blackouts in the Batam region were triggered by several technical issues. Based on initial reports he received, the disruptions were related to the lightning strikes affecting the power grid and other technical constraints.
Regarding service restoration and the possibility of compensation for affected customers, Coordinating Minister Bahlil stated that he would first coordinate with PT PLN.
“I will discuss it first with the team from PT PLN, as they are the ones who know the most the field implementation technically,” he added.
In addition to electricity issues, Coordinating Minister Bahlil also addressed the fuel distribution constraints in Bali. He noted that President Director of state-owned energy company Pertamina Simon Aloysius Mantiri has arrived in Bali to tackle the issue. Coordinating Minister Bahlil will also hold a meeting to obtain the latest report regarding the conditions of fuel distribution in the field.
Despite the distribution constraints in Bali, Coordinating Minister Bahlil assured the public that national fuel stocks remains secure, with supply resilience ranging from 16 to 18 days. He reiterated that the current issue that needs to be addressed relates to distribution rather than a national fuel shortage.
“Our national fuel stocks can meet the supply for fuel for 16 to 18 days, so it is still clear [that] there are no issues regarding our national fuel stocks. The problem lies in the distribution that is facing constraints, which I will address shortly in upcoming meeting,” Bahlil concluded. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (NST/TM)
