MINISTER ASKS PT PINDAD TO PRODUCE MILY HARDWARE FOR TNI

Banda Aceh, Nov 14 (ANTARA) - State Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar will ask PT Pindad to step up the production of military hardware to meet domestic demand.

"We have to promote the use of home-made products, and therefore I will ask PT Pindad in Bandung, West Java, to produce as much military hardware as possible to meet the National Defense Forces (TNI)'s demand," Abubakar said at a function to launch the book "Berani Tak Populer" (Dare to be Unpopular) here on Friday evening.

Asked about State Enterprises Ministry (BUMN)'s first 100-day working program, the former State Logistics Agency (Bulog) president director said the urge of domestic product use including Alutsista was one of the priorities in the program.

Abubakar said re-structurization and privatization at the BUMN were also part of the first one-hundred-day program of the state ministry of state enterprises.

He said state electricity company PT PLN and oil company PT Pertamina were also the focus of the first 100-day program as mandated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"The present electricity crisis across Indonesia is also the focus of priority and that we hope it will be overcome in the near future," Abubakar said.

The former Aceh's acting governor during the post Aceh conflict and tsunami said he would continue to make every effort to encourage PLN across the country improve its performance.

He said he would also ask PLN to use coal and biogas to generate electricity in the country.

"The development of power plant with the capacity of 180 megawatt in West Java should be sped up to overcome electricity crisis in Java and Bali islands," he said.

Another way to overcome electricity crisis, according him, is that the consumers, especially industrial circles, shopping malls, and luxurious houses should make efficient use of energy.