HIPMI urges PLN to consider productive hours during power outages

The Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) of Karawang Regency, West Java, has asked PLN to take productive hours into account when carrying out power cuts so as not to overly disrupt the business and industrial sectors. “The power outages carried out by PLN over the past two weeks have clearly disrupted business activities,” said David, General Chairman of the HIPMI Karawang Branch Executive Board, in Karawang on Sunday. He said a number of business actors, especially in the industrial sector in Karawang, have complained about the impact of the power cuts on their business operations. The outages have disrupted production processes, customer service, and led to potential losses due to the cessation of business activities during the blackouts. According to him, electricity is a basic necessity for the business world. Therefore, every outage should be announced earlier and scheduled with consideration of productive hours so as not to hamper community business activities. “Entrepreneurs certainly understand if there are repairs or technical disruptions. But the concern is the impact on business activities. We hope for better communication and anticipatory measures so that the business world is not too disadvantaged,” David said. He noted that power cuts lasting three to five hours are very disruptive to the business and industrial sectors if they occur during productive hours, such as between 8.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. He therefore hopes PLN can improve service quality and provide certainty to customers, especially business actors who need a reliable electricity supply to maintain productivity and business continuity. Meanwhile, over the past two weeks, PLN customers in several areas around Karawang have experienced rolling power cuts. Information gathered indicates there are more than ten power cut points per day, with an average outage duration of three to five hours. In addition to residential areas, office buildings, public service centres, business areas, industrial estates, schools, campuses, and even hospitals have been affected by the rolling blackouts. When contacted, PT PLN UP3 Karawang Finance and General Affairs Assistant Manager Wahyu NF conveyed an apology regarding the ongoing rolling blackouts in the Karawang area. He said the power cuts were carried out due to operational technical problems at a power plant that caused a reduction in electricity supply capacity.