Inaugurating Electricity Infrastructure Projects, President Jokowi Wants Papua and West Papua to be Bright by 2019
President Jokowi while inaugurating electricity projects in Papua and West Papua, in Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua, Monday (17/10) afternoon. (Photo: BPMI Presidential Secretariat/Rusman)
President Joko Jokowi Widodo requested that the projects of electricity infrastructure development in Papua Province be expedited. The President wants all sub districts in Papua and West Papua to be bright by 2019, not by 2020 as promised by President Director of Indonesian state-owned electricity company (PLN) Sofyan Basir.
“I order, I do not want the completion of the projects by 2020. I want them to be completed by 2019. Why does it take so long? I have been told that the terrain in Papua is tough. Yes I know, I have already been to Wamena, Nduga, and tomorrow I will be in Yakuhimo,” the President said when inaugurating a number of electricity infrastructure projects in Papua and West Papua, in Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua, on Monday (17/10) afternoon.
To date, the electrification ratio in Papua has just reached 47 percent. Thus, there are still 53 percent of Papuans who do not have electricity.
The President admitted that the infrastructure development in Papua is different from that of in other regions of Indonesia in which Papua and West Papua have a very difficult terrain. “This is the challenge of the projects in Papua and West Papua: the terrain is difficult. I am aware of this but please do not postpone it. I ask to speed up the projects, the President said.
The electricity projects inaugurated by President Jokowi are the 20-megawatt (MW) Orya hydropower plant (PLTA) in Genyem, a 2 x 1.25 MW micro hydroelectric power plant in Prafi, the Genyem-Waena-Jayapura 70 kilo Volt 174.6 kilometer High Voltage line (SUTT), the Holtekamp-Jayapura 70 kilo Volt 43.4 kilometer SUTT, the 20-Mega Volt Ampere Waena-Sentani substation and the 20-Mega Volt Ampere Jayapura substation.
Accompanying the President and First Lady Ibu Iriana Joko Widodo on the occasion were Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe and President Director of PLN Sofyan Basir. (BPMI Presidential Secretariat/ES) (Mur/YM/Naster)
