Residents upset over power cut

Residents upset over power cut

JAKARTA: Residents of a low-cost apartment building
Penjaringan I in North Jakarta, demanded on Wednesday that state
power company PT PLN turn on the electricity to their homes,
after it was shut off at 9 a.m. due to arrears dating back to
2002.

The residents claimed that they had no idea that the bills to
PLN were not being paid.

Since 1987, the government has subsidized the use of
electricity up to 220 watts for each unit in the building.

However, as the power usage in the apartment had been upgraded
to 450 watts in 1997, the residents were obliged to pay for the
remaining power used, and the payment had been integrated into
the monthly rental payments, the residents explained.

Community figure Niman said that since 2002, the residents had
paid their electricity bills to the apartment management company
PD Sarana Jaya.

As of late Wednesday, the power was still off, even though the
residents had promised PLN that they would pay the arrears in
installments. -- JP