Riches of a Full Refrigerator

Kompas

Sukiman, 43, a resident of Bajo Island hamlet, Kwangko village, Manggalewa district, Dompu regency, West Nusa Tenggara, examines ice cubes to be used to preserve fish catches on Saturday (31/3). Newly installed electricity networks reached this fisherman\'s settlement last year.

Electricity is inseparable from human life. Not only does it give light, but it also powers the economy, as is happening in West Nusa Tenggara. Businesses are also growing, giving jobs to many.

Under the glow from a lightbulb, Sukiman, 43, a fisherman, smiled as he opened his refrigerator. It was filled with dozens of block ice and neatly lined up fish. These were the treasures of the Kwangko villagers in Manggalewa district, Dompu regency, West Nusa Tenggara.

That Saturday afternoon (31/3), Sukiman was packing ice cubes, ready to go out to sea. The ice kept his fish fresh for longer. He could catch up to 50 kilograms of fish at sea, which sold for Rp 30,000 to Rp 40,000 per kilogram.

The income does not include the sale of ice at Rp 1,000 per block. In a single day, Sukiman sells about 20 block ice to local fishermen. His home, which has a tiled floor, is a communal place to watch television.

He has prospered in the last year since state electricity company PT PLN electrified his village. The subsidized electricity of 900 volt amperes (VA) that runs to his house is capable of powering a refrigerator, fan and light for his child to study in the evening.

His house is one of 79 houses that are enjoying electricity in the kampung in the northern part of Kwangko village. The area has over 100 homes and is accessed by traveling a steep and rocky dirt road for 3 kilometers from Sumbawa\'s main road. When it rains, the road becomes muddy and cannot be traveled. Before, the kampung’s residents could only reach the area by a 5- to 10-minute boat ride.

Prior to 2017, the local residents could not enjoy full electricity. For nearly 15 years, they depended on a generator set that illuminated homes only from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Before that, they relied on kerosene lamps.

Each household paid Rp 75,000 per month to cover the cost of running the generator. For Sukiman, this was more expensive than prepaid electricity, which costs Rp 50,000 for 20 days and can power light and electronic appliances for 24 hours.

Before the village was electrified, the fishermen could go out to sea for only three hours. As a result, their catch was small, only about 10 kilograms. This did not include the cost to buy block ice from the village center for Rp 1,000 each. "Electronic devices were also damaged because the electricity was [unstable]. Every household here has three to four televisions. Only one is in a good condition, the others are broken," said resident Ridwan, 37, who said he had three broken TVs.

However, that was the past. Former Kwangko village head Saiful, 58, was able to persuade PLN to supply electricity to the area. Electricity poles weighing up to 1 ton were transported by two speedboats. The villagers worked together to install them, and today, they can enjoy electricity all day and night. "I was so grateful when electricity arrived in the village," said Saiful.

"We just started enjoying electricity last year, decades after Indonesian independence. In our eyes, Pak Jokowi already has our appreciation," said Diding Abu, a community leader.

Nabil Martini, 13, a sixth grader at SD Negeri 5 Manggalewa state school, was also content. "I\'m happy to see that at night, the kampung isn’t dark anymore, so it\'s not scary. I can study at night without worrying about a sudden cut in power," she said.

KOMPAS/DIMAS WARADITYA NUGRAHA

Activity at one of the cafés at the Kuta Beach complex belonging to the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK) in Pujut district, Central Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday (29/3). State electricity company PLN guaranteed electricity supply for the 1,175-hectare area, whose electricity demand is predicted to increase from 65 megawatts (MW) in 2025 to 111 MW in 2030.

Productive business

With electricity, the villagers’ productive efforts are also bearing fruit. In addition to selling block ice and fresh fish, they also sell chargers. "I used to be jobless. Now, I sell chargers. I can make Rp 300,000 a day," said Fitriah, one of three villagers running similar businesses.

Fitriah said the village had a blackout once a month. However, it was still better than last year, when they had electricity for just a few hours each day.

The power supply is part of the village electrification program to build a 20-kilovolt (KV), 4.1-kilometer medium voltage transmission line to supply electricity on the island. PLN has built two substations with a capacity of 100 kVA each and a 7.2-km transmission line to provide electricity to the island. This includes a 150-meter underwater line that passes through the waters of Saleh Bay, which connects Sumbawa island with a number of kampungs in Kwangko.

In West Sumbawa regency, the vannamei shrimp business has also grown, thanks to PLN’s electricity supply. PT Bumi Harapan Jaya, a vannamei shrimp producer, for example, was able to reduce the operational costs of using generators since the electricity service was installed in January 2018. "We have saved about 20 percent," said PT BHJ site manager Eko Budianto.

Nine generators that used to consume 15,000 kiloliters of diesel fuel over three days to aerate the ponds, are now stored in warehouses. The 134 propellers of the 53-hectare shrimp farm no longer stop suddenly as they did before, when the diesel generators stopped. The previous unstable condition frequently stressed the shrimp, which died as a result.

"Now, we don’t worry anymore. Each pond produces 9 to 10 tons [of shrimp]. In the past, it was only 8 tons," said Eko. The company, which produces shrimp for export, is now able to employ 105 workers, mostly local residents.

The company even plans to expand its ponds if the PLN electricity supply continues to increase. It has about 240 hectares of land that can be turned into shrimp ponds, and expansion means added potential to create jobs.

Based on data from PLN West Nusa Tenggara, electrification in the province has reached 85.10 percent, an increase from 77.68 percent the previous year. The village electrification program has illuminated 251 hamlets in West Nusa Tenggara since 2016.

PLN West Nusa Tenggara general manager Mukhtar is targeting 100 percent electrification in the province by 2019. Therefore, PLN is building the 150 MW Lombok Peaker gas engine power plant (PLTMGU). "Whether the area is far or near, we strive to provide electricity," he said.

Electricity not only lights homes, but also boosts the local community’s productive efforts, such the residents of Kwangko or the vannamei shrimp production company in West Sumbawa. The condition needs to be improved with better quality services, so that the people will continue to feel the benefits of the government’s aggressive infrastructure development plan every year.