MSMEs in Central Java Fret Over Daily Power Cuts Lasting Six Hours

Micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) operators in Central Java have complained about recent power outages. Beyond the financial losses, they regret the lack of adequate notice from state-owned electricity company PT PLN before the cuts are implemented.

Estri Pungkas Utama, a juice seller in Bawang District, Batang Regency, said she has been affected by power outages several times over at least the past month. “But the most frequent outages have been in the last week. Sometimes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More often, the cuts last two to three hours,” she said in an interview on Monday (22/6/2026).

She said the outages have a major impact on her business. “Whenever the power goes out, our business stops. As a seller, I am clearly disappointed. You could say it’s a loss, because money that should have been earned ends up not coming in,” she said.

Estri also said she receives no direct notification when a power cut is planned. “What is actually going on with the electricity? How can there be continuous rolling blackouts? We are ordinary people who pay taxes recklessly, yet we are made to struggle to earn a living just to survive,” she said.