PLN to give small businesses free electricity for half a year
02 May, 2020
State-owned electricity firm PLN has announced its intention to provide small-scale businesses and industries on 450-volt ampere (VA) contracts with six months of free electricity within the government’s latest expansion of social aid.
PLN president director Zulkifli Zaini said the business had started gathering data of around 500,000 pre-paid customers from smaller businesses and industries permitted receive the aid.
“We will prepare the technicalities as quickly as possible, to ensure that this policy could be implemented immediately,” Zulkifli said in a media statement on Friday, while expressing hope that tokens could be generated by Sunday.
Since April, the federal government has granted free usage of electricity for about 24 million 450 VA customers and provided a 50 percent discount for about 7 million 900 VA customers for 90 days.
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Throughout a meeting on Wednesday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced several schemes to make sure small and medium businesses were included in the government programs, including the free electricity supply.
“We should ensure they are included as recipients of social aid programs, like the Family Hope Program (PKH), staple food distribution, cash aid program, village cash assistance along with free or discounted electricity,” Jokowi said.
Zulkifli applauded the President’s decision, saying it reflected “great commitment and concrete and continuous efforts” to safeguard the people afflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“PLN is enthusiastic and gets the full responsibility to carry out the commitment and translate the government’s concern in assisting smaller businesses and industries,” Zulkifli added.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com