INDONESIA TO INCREASE ITS POWER CAPACITY TO 15,000 MW

Jakarta, April 24 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is able to increase its electricity capacity to 15,000 megawatts to support its economic growth target of seven percent in 2014, a senior minister said.

"The 15,000 MW capacity can be achieved by developing new power generating plants," Chief Economic Minister Hatta Radjasa said here on Saturday.

The chief economic minister made the remark in a seminar themed: "Sustainable Business Competitiveness: The Next Challenge," organized by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB).

He said that the government had to build power generators to increase the capacity of its electricity and to boost its economic growth to seven percent before 2014 so that it would be able to increase the competitive edge of its industrial products in the world market.

Hatta said that if Indonesia was able to increase its power capacity to 15,000 MW this year, it would be able to avoid rotating its power cuts.

"There would be no longer rotating power outage throughout the country beginning next June," the minister said.

He said that the government's middle term target was to overcome electricity shortage in 2012-2013.

"The government will boost its electricity development to generate its economic growth to reach seven percent before 2014," the minister said.