East Timor faces power shortage

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): A power shortage may hit troubled East Timor next month if no measures are taken to guarantee a supply of fuel for the local power plant, a spokesman for PT PLN said.

Erry Kusyranto, the spokesman for Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara said here on Wednesday that fuel stocks for PLN's diesel power generator in Dili would last for only one month.

PLN workers who are from outside East Timor have left the town in the past several days to avoid the chaos which has come after a majority of East Timorese voted for independence in the recent ballot organized by the United Nations.

Ery said PLN power generators in East Timor were now being operated by local residents.

Ery said PLN operates a nine megawatt (MW) diesel power generator in Dili.

Meanwhile, the president of state oil and gas company, Pertamina, Martiono Hadianto, said Pertamina had supplied enough fuel to East Timor but the company was facing difficulties in its distribution due to security problems.

Pertamina has supplied the fuel to various fueling stations in town but no stations were open due to the security problems, Martiono said on the sidelines of the Indonesian International Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference. (jsk)