Jakarta, Jan. 8 -- Indonesia is preparing electricity bill discounts for residents in parts of Sumatra hit by deadly floods and landslides, as the government steps up relief efforts following one of the region's worst disasters in recent years.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is drafting a policy to provide temporary electricity discounts in the flood- and landslide-affected provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

"The ministry will provide a discount, but we are still calculating the duration and the fiscal impact," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.

The planned relief, he said, is a response to formal requests submitted by regiona...