PLN Coal Will Be Disbanded, Ministry of SOEs Starts Counting Its Assets

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) is reviewing dissolution PT PLN Coal, a subsidiary of PT PLN (Persero). This is considered as a step to simplify the bureaucracy in supplying goods coal for PLN generator needs.

Special Staff to the Minister of SOEs, Arya Sinulingga, explained that at the initial stage the government would first carry out technical calculations, including those related to total assets owned PLN Coal.

“Regarding PLN Coal, that’s true (the plan to disband), we are currently reviewing technically for its dissolution, calculating how many assets it has. There must be a process,” he told the media, Friday (14/1/2022).

Also read: PLN Coal Asked Luhut to Disband, This is What PLN’s CEO said

According to Arya, after the study is completed, then the Ministry of SOEs will dissolve PLN Coal. He said the disbandment was carried out for the sake of efficiency within PLN.

Because, so far, PLN has bought coal from its subsidiary, so the purchase price is more expensive than what is set by the producer.

This is because PLN Batubara takes the margin through the selling price of coal for the company’s operations.

“Because so far the coal that PLN has bought is still from PLN Coal. This means that PLN Coal buys from the coal owner, then goes to PLN Coal, then sells it again to PLN,” explained Arya.

As for whether or not there is a game at PLN Coal, Arya said, it can be known after the audit process is complete. He also ensured that the review and audit process of the planned dissolution of PLN Coal would be carried out in a transparent manner.

“About whether there have been many games all this time or not, that will be the result of the audit, only then will it all be clear. We’ll just have to wait, for sure we will always be transparent about it,” he explained.

Also read: Profile of PLN Coal Subsidiaries, Some Are Still as Old as Corn

Making PLN subholding

Along with the plan to disband PLN Coal, SOE Minister Erick Thohir had stated that PLN’s transformation would be carried out by establishing several subholdings.

PLN will have 3 subholdings consisting of the retail sector electricity business, power generation, and transmission. Erick believes that if the businesses are grouped, it will benefit PLN through the positive performance of most of the subholdings.

“In terms of transmission, there will be losses, but retail and power plants should profit,” he said when met by Kompas.com at the KompasTV office, Jakarta, Tuesday (11/1/2022).

He explained, such as the opportunities that exist in the power generation business, given the increasing demand for electricity from Indonesia to several neighboring countries. The demand is electricity from new renewable energy (EBT).

Erick gave an example of Singapore, which has limited land so it cannot develop NRE. In contrast to Indonesia, which has abundant natural resources ranging from water, geothermal, solar power, to wind.

“Like Singapore, the land is small, you can’t make thousands of hectares of solar panels, but in Indonesia you can,” he said.

Also read: Frequently Buying Coal through a Broker, PT PLN Batubara Will Be Disbanded

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