Electricity theft costs PLN Rp 1b

BOGOR: The state electricity company, PLN, suffered more than Rp 1 billion in losses due to the theft of power conducted by factories and households in 2001.

Secretary of the local PLN office, Suargina, said on Tuesday that the theft by factories inflicted Rp 806 million in losses on the company, while the offense by households had caused PLN to suffer about Rp 340 million in losses.

"They tampered with the meter or they took the power directly from an electricity pole," he said.

He said, however, that so far, the thieves were never prosecuted. "They were just told to pay fines."

He said that PLN, which serves about 500,000 households in Bogor, generated 80 percent of its revenues from factories.--JP