YLKI prepares class action guidelines

YLKI prepares class action guidelines

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) is preparing
guidelines for customers affected by two power blackouts in the
Greater Jakarta area last week to file a class action against
state-owned electricity company PT PLN.

One of YLKI's lawyers, Sudaryatmo, told The Jakarta Post on
Tuesday that the foundation was gathering information about the
losses suffered by residents as a direct result of the blackouts.

"We need to know where the affected areas were and how big the
losses were. That's why we urge the customers to send in written
statements on their losses," he said.

"The statement should contain a description of the power
outage, such as where and for how long. It must also be
accompanied by their most recent electricity bill."

Sudaryatmo said the foundation had not received any written
statements from the public, but said there many phone calls
inquiring about the possible class action.

Earlier on Sunday, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources
Purnomo Yusgiantoro said in Bandung that the government was
preparing a compensation package for those affected by the power
outage. He said that the ministry's electric and power
development directorate general was discussing the compensation
package with PLN's board of directors.

Contacted separately, PLN corporate secretary Muljo Adji A.G.
told the Post that the company had not entered into any
discussions yet about a compensation package.

"We are following a current regulation that states
compensation will only be given if the blackout lasts for three
consecutive days," he said.

Commenting on Purnomo's statement, Sudaryatmo said that any
package should give fair compensation to customers affected by
the blackouts.

He cited an example in which residential customers in Bogor
received only Rp 500 (5 U.S. cents) each, following a seven-day
blackout there in 2000.

Meanwhile, Muljo said the company failed to pinpoint the exact
locations of the transmission problems but stressed that readings
from safety devices confirmed that there were transmission
problems.

"We checked the transmission lines but we did not find any
objects that could have caused the problem," he said.

In May 2000, it took one day for PLN to find out what the
cause was for a similar blackout, and it turned out to be a short
circuit caused by the fronds of a coconut tree.