TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinator of Power Outage Advocacy at the Borneo Nusantara Legal Aid Institute (LBH Borneo Nusantara), Muhammad Pazri, revealed the latest developments in the public lawsuit against state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara or PLN regarding repeated, widespread blackouts in Banjarmasin since June 22, 2026. He stated that the legal claim has now been officially finalized, totaling 48 pages.
The finalization occurred during the fourth preliminary hearing at the Banjarmasin State Administrative Court (PTUN) on Thursday, September 3, 2026, under case number 24/G/TF/2026/PTUN.BJM. “The trial will move to the core dispute examination on September 10, 2026, followed by the defendant's response scheduled for September 17, with the verdict expected on November 19, 2026,” Pazri said when contacted on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
Administrative Objections Preceded Legal Action
He explained that turning to the State Administrative Court was not the public's initial step. Before lodging the lawsuit at the Banjarmasin PTUN, citizens took formal administrative avenues by submitting an official objection to PLN. "This included voicing formal complaints and demanding explanations and accountability," he added.
However, those efforts did not result in a concrete resolution. This lack of outcome ultimately drove the public to seek legal action. According to Pazri, the legal action relies on Articles 75 and 76 of Law No. 30/2014 on Government Administration, which grant citizens the right to file administrative objections and appeals against state actions prior to pursuing court action.
Mounting Business Losses
Pazri noted that one of the key factors behind the lawsuit is the severe impact of rolling blackouts on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and households, as reported by community groups. “A specific loss widely reported involves food and beverage MSMEs whose raw ingredients spoiled due to non-functioning refrigerators,” he stated.
Due to the power outages, many businesses were forced to incur extra costs for generator fuel and alternative power supplies during the blackouts. According to the advocacy team’s records, the outages that began on June 22, 2026, averaged 5 to 6 hours per instance, with some areas enduring blackouts more than 8 hours.
Another severe wave of outages hit at the end of July 2026, before durations dropped to roughly 3 hours as parts of the grid were restored. Pazri stressed that determining the total accumulated hours of outages requires full disclosure of PLN's official Realization of Service Quality data.
Demands for Automatic Consumer Compensation
In the suit, plaintiffs demand that PLN automatically compensate consumers under Articles 6 and 6A of Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation No. 2/2025 through bill deductions for postpaid users or extra electricity credits for prepaid users, alongside Rp 5 million per affected customer pursuant to Article 3 of Government Regulation No. 43/1991. “That figure remains a demand that will be examined and proven during the trial,” Pazri said.
The lawsuit also requests a forced penalty (dwangsom) of Rp100 million to compel PLN's compliance with the court decision, alongside the creation of an independent post to transparently record and verify residents' economic losses.
Furthermore, Pazri noted that no out-of-court settlement has been reached to date. “We are not closing the door to peace, but any agreement must be manifested through concrete action,” he said. “The public's fight does not have to rely on a single channel.”
While the PTUN serves as the primary avenue to challenge PLN's actions, Pazri added that public oversight, consumer rights advocacy, and administrative complaints can proceed in parallel across their respective legal channels.
Advocacy team member Ahmadi emphasized that the lawsuit does not aim to attack PLN as an institution, but to test and uphold public service accountability. Meanwhile, Banjarmasin City Forum Chairman Syarifuddin Nisfuady expressed hope that the case will strengthen consumer protection in public service delivery.
PLN's Response
Tempo reached out to Gregorius Adi Trianto, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communication & TJSL at PLN, from Thursday evening through Friday evening via SMS, WhatsApp, and phone calls to seek a response to the lawsuit. However, PLN has offered no response as of publication.
Previously, PLN's West Kalimantan Distribution Main Unit (UID) confirmed in mid-July that the regional power grid was gradually recovering. The recovery followed completed repairs at a steam power plant (PLTU) that had suffered a boiler leak.
With supply capacity restored, PLN lifted the targeted load management that had caused rotational blackouts for customers. At the time, PLN claimed that local communities could once again enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply.
PLN UID West Kalimantan General Manager Maria G.I. Gunawan stated that technical teams continue to closely monitor the condition of the entire power system and infrastructure. "This step is part of our preventive efforts to further improve the reliability of power supply in the future," she said in a statement on Sunday, July 12, 2026, as reported by Antara.
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