Indonesia Prepares 50 Trillion for Village Electricity Program
Jakarta – The government has shown a strong commitment to accelerating equitable development by preparing a budget of Rp50 trillion for the village electricity provision program. Electricity is a basic need that is crucial for people’s lives in the future. For this reason, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has prepared an electrification roadmap with a total budget of around Rp50 trillion. The main focus is directed at 5,700 villages that have not been served by PLN.
The Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Jisman P. Hutajalu, revealed that there are still around 780 thousand households in Indonesia that do not have access to electricity.
“Electricity is a basic need in the future, so we have prepared a roadmap of around Rp50 trillion and there are 5,700 villages that have not been served by PLN. So, we encourage these villages to be served by PLN so that it is more sustainable. So we hope that later this village electricity must be served by PLN,” he said.
According to Jisman, the presence of PLN in areas that have not yet been electrified is also important so that people can get electricity subsidies, especially for those who live in the 3T (Underdeveloped, Frontier, and Outermost) areas.
The village electricity program, which will be implemented in stages, is designed not only to expand the reach of electricity infrastructure, but also to improve the standard of living of rural communities. With the presence of electricity, various social and economic activities in rural areas are expected to increase significantly. The availability of electricity will encourage the growth of the micro and small business sector, increase agricultural productivity, support education and health services, and open up new opportunities in the digital sector and local creative industries.
In addition, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, said that this plan will be implemented in stages over the next 5 years, namely from 2025 to 2029. Bahlil is of the view that the government’s efforts to provide access to villages that have not yet been electrified can be a great opportunity for investors to invest their capital.
“According to the direction of the President, we will immediately install electricity in villages that do not yet have electricity. We will do it gradually until it is finished,” said Bahlil.
This village electricity program is also expected to support national stability and strengthen national unity. The inequality of energy access between urban and rural areas has long been one of the triggers of development and social inequality. By building an even energy infrastructure, the government is indirectly building a strong foundation for the creation of more even prosperity throughout the country.
*
