Billions of rupiah lost in electricity theft

BANDA ACEH: State-owned electricity company (PLN) has suffered billions of rupiah in losses over the past two years, due to the "maddening rate" of theft involving electricity itself, electricity cables, transmission equipment and the company's electricity relay stations, Sofyan Amin, PLN's chief of Aceh Region I, said.

He explained on Thursday that the most rampant level of theft was occurring on Aceh's east coast.

"Due to limitations on equipment, PLN has had to resort to cutting off electricity in several areas of the province -- one at a time -- for short periods," Sofyan told Antara.

"We sincerely apologize to the Acehnese people for what we've had to do. One way out is to relocate the generators from the worst hit areas."

Sofyan added that conditions had worsened due to the delay in the construction of a hydroelectric power plant (PLTA) in Peusangan, Central Aceh.

"We are trying our best to take power from PT Arun, Indonesia's second largest liquefied natural gas producer, so as to help the people of North Aceh," Sofyan said. (ylt)