REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Association of Indonesian Young Businessmen (Hipmi) expressed hope that the nation's businessmen would be involved in the implementation of the government's plan to develop 35 thousand-megawatt (MW) power plants.

"Hipmi hopes the program would offer several opportunities to national businessmen, particularly young entrepreneurs, to produce domestic components (for the projects)," Chairman of Hipmi in charge of Energy Issues Andhika Anindyaguna noted in a statement, here on Tuesday.

The project is expected to absorb some 600 thousand workers, and the government must give priority to employing Indonesian workers, he stated.

Earlier, Head of the Energy Study Center of the University of Indonesia Iwa Garniwa suggested that private participation in the project should not exceed 25 percent.

"I consider 25 percent private participation in the project as adequate. I am worried that if the participation of private parties and the government is almost balanced, the government's bargaining position will become weak," Garniwa pointed out.

Foreign participation in the expensive project must also be restricted, he emphasized.

The administration of Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has launched the ambitious 35 thousand-MW power plants' project to be completed within his five-year term.

Indonesia, has so far only been able to meet one-quarter of its electricity demand, so the 35 thousand-MW power plants' project is realistic, President Jokowi was quoted by Chairman of the Association of the Indonesian Businessmen (Apindo) Hariyadi B. Sukamdani as saying on Sept. 29, 2015.

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