nuclear-news

Nuclear power for Indonesia, despite earthquakes, tsunamis, and corruption

But experts are worried – not only about Indonesia’s regular earthquakes, one of which triggered a massive tsunami in December 2004, but also about weak government institutions and corruption.

Indonesia insists nuclear plans are safe | beyondbrics |March 17, 2011  by Anthony Deutsch Indonesia will go ahead with a feasibility study for a nuclear power plant, even as China has put plans on hold in the wake of Japan’s nuclear crisis. There are many places in Indonesia that are safe,” Ferhat Aziz of the National Atomic Energy Agency said in an interview on Thursday. “We are not so worried. Japan is a different story.” But experts are worried – not only about Indonesia’s regular earthquakes, one of which triggered a massive tsunami in December 2004, but also about weak government institutions and corruption.

“There is acute regulatory risk and you want the highest possible level of transparency, robustness and integrity,” said Richard Tanter of Australia’s Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability. “Those are not phrases that come to mind with the current Indonesian government, or the previous ones for that matter.”

He added: “Japan is a country of extraordinary regulation when it puts its mind to it. Indonesia is not. Its powers of enforcement are very weak.”

Indonesia insists nuclear plans are safe | beyondbrics | News and views on emerging markets from the Financial Times – FT.com

March 18, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Indonesia, politics