Blackouts cost tourism, Internet businesses<\/p>\n
Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang<\/p>\n
Rotating power shutdowns in West Sumatra in the past month have
\nhit the tourism and telecommunications sectors in the province.<\/p>\n
Businessmen have not yet reported significant financial losses
\ndue to the incidents, but they have disrupted the operation of
\nhotels and telephone and Internet kiosks in the province.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the West Sumatra Hotel and Restaurant Association
\n(PHRI) Aim Zein said on Friday that the power problem had been an
\ninconvenience to foreign and domestic guests staying at hotels in
\nWest Sumatra.<\/p>\n
"It's disappointing. The tourism sector has just bounced back
\nafter the crisis that followed the Bali and Marriott hotel
\nbombings in the past two years, but now we are facing another
\ncrisis," said Aim.<\/p>\n
There are 1,500 hotel rooms in Padang and Bukittinggi
\nmunicipalities alone, and some 90 percent of these are filled by
\nguests staying there during the school holidays.<\/p>\n
"We are afraid that the tourists will be disappointed by the
\npoor infrastructure and will decide not to visit West Sumatra
\nanymore," he said.<\/p>\n
He said that two weeks ago, state electricity company PT PLN
\ncut power in the province for three hours per day, but now power
\noutages were 6 hours to 12 hours per day.<\/p>\n
He said that the hardest hit were non-star-rated hotels,
\nbecause they were not equipped with power generators. This was
\ndisturbing because about 90 percent of more than 100 registered
\nhotels in West Sumatra are non-star-rated.<\/p>\n
Aim said that hotels bore the costs of power shutdowns in
\nthree ways. First, they were supposed to satisfy customers, but
\nthe power cuts had caused disappointment. Second, operational
\ncosts for hotels using generators soared as they had to spend
\nmuch more on gasoline. Third, the rotating shutdowns damaged
\nappliances, air-conditioners and other items.<\/p>\n
A similar situation also applied to restaurants. He said
\nrestaurants were unable to provide high-quality service because
\nthere were frequent disturbances to kitchens and their electrical
\nappliances.<\/p>\n
Internet businesspeople also expressed concern at power
\nshutdowns that have affected three provinces: West Sumatra, Jambi
\nand Riau. Chairman of West Sumatra Computer Businesspeoples
\nAssociation (Apkomindo) Setiawan said most association members
\nhad complained over the incidents.<\/p>\n
"Sudden, repeated power shutdowns have damaged our computers.
\nThree of my hard disks are damaged and their repair cost me Rp 2
\nmillion (US$ 210.5)," said Setiawan.<\/p>\n
Setiawan, the director of CV Ikrar Mitra Utama, who is also an
\nInternet Service Provider (ISP), said that he had to spend a lot
\non running a generator.<\/p>\n
He said he was planning to seek compensation from PLN over the
\nlosses that he had borne due to power cuts.<\/p>\n
Power outages occurred after the decline in water debit in
\nreservoirs and lakes that are the energy source for three power
\nplants in the three provinces.<\/p>\n
Deputy communications manager at PLN's West Sumatra office
\nYusman Radjo Mudo said on Friday that the company was doing its
\nbest to bring the power outages to an end.<\/p>",
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