Konsuil should be responsible for fires: PLN

Leony Aurora, Jakarta

State-owned power firm PT PLN says that the National Committee for Safety of Electrical Installation (Konsuil) should be held responsible for fires caused by short circuits within a guarantee period once it begins inspecting new houses.

Deputy spokesman of the firm's Jakarta and Tangerang chapter, Ario Subijoko, said on Thursday that currently, an electricity contractor could be sued for damages, resulting from an electrical malfunction, up to five years after the installation. The claim can only be made if customers do not make changes to the original installation.

"People often build extensions on their houses and install the wiring themselves," said Subijoko.

Jakarta Fire Department data shows that faulty wiring caused between 45 percent and 52 percent of fires in the city in the last seven years.

Konsuil has been appointed by the government to inspect buildings using between 450 volt-ampere (VA) and 2,200 VA.

Starting next month, it will inspect houses of prospective PLN customers in Greater Jakarta for a fee of between Rp 40,000 (US$4.37) and Rp 60,000. Without certification from Konsuil, which is valid for 10 years, electricity will not be connected to the houses.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) has questioned the authority of Konsuil and whether it was needed, as electricity contractors were certified by PLN.

The Indonesian Association of Electrical and Mechanical Contractors (AKLI) said that it would still take responsibility for damages due to electrical malfunction, despite inspections from Konsuil.

"That way, the public will be assured (of the quality of the work)," said Adang Surachman, head of AKLI's regional board of directors for Jakarta and Tangerang.

AKLI took over the task of members' certification from the government and PLN in 2002.

"So far, we have only exchanged government certificates with ours and have not awarded new ones," said Adang. The organization plans to conduct examinations for uncertified members at the end of this year, he added.

There are 470 contractors certified by PLN to install electricity in Jakarta and Tangerang. They are classified into four classes based on the magnitude of work they can perform.

A-classified contractors can only do house wiring of under 23 kilo VA (kVA), while those in class B can do installations up to 99 kVA. Class C members are certified to do big installations of under 500 kVA. The highest class, D, can install any kind of electrical facilities, from houses to transmission and power stations.