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Sukoharjo, C Java, (ANTARA News) - House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Agung Laksono has warned the government against raising the electricity basic rate (TDL).

"The people are at present already burdened with the higher domestic fuel oil prices which have also contributed to an increase in the prices of basic necessaries," the House speaker said here on Saturday.

He said an electricity crisis should not follow the fuel oil and energy crisis which had happened earlier.

Therefore, Agung said, PT PLN and the energy and mineral resources ministry on behalf of the government should immediately find a way out of the problem.

"Don`t wait until 2009 to overcome the electricity crisis through the planned construction of coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 10,000 MW," Agung said.

He expressed hope that the government would immediately overcome the crisis by among other things constructing gas-fired power plants.

Commenting on the current electricity deficit, the House leader said it was PLN`s responsibility and the state company should have anticipated the problem.

Agung said he was also afraid that an electricity crisis would have a negative impact on the investment climate in Indonesia.

"Investors will probably run away from Indonesia if the electricity crisis lingers on for the next couple of years because the `power` issue is one of the major considerations in doing business," Agung said.

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