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Small businesses suffered 75 percent decline in sales during Sunday's blackout
Millions were affected by the massive power outage that hit the capital and its surrounding cities in West Java on Sunday.
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A woman prepares meals for customers in her food stall in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Many food sellers suffered a sharp decline in sales due to the blackout which hit Jakarta and surrounding cities on Sunday (-/-)
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), mostly food sellers in Jakarta, Banten and West Java, suffered a 75 percent decline in their sales as a result of the blackout on Sunday, a small and medium-scale business representative has said.
"Sunday should have been harvest day for them because many people usually spend their days off eating together with their family members,” the chairman of the Association of Indonesian Micro, Small and Medium Businesses (Akumindo) Ikhsan Ingratubun told Kompas.com.
In addition, said Ikhsan, the MSMEs also suffered stock losses, especially food sellers who used refrigerators or freezers. "The food was spoiled and could not be used anymore,” he added.
When asked to quantify the estimated losses suffered by MSMEs in the power outage, Ikhsan said the figure could reach trillions of rupiah as the number of MSMEs in the affected areas, especially in Jakarta and West Java, was quite large.
Millions were affected by the massive power outage that hit the capital and its surrounding cities in West Java on Sunday for roughly eight hours.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has asked PLN to pay compensation, which is estimated to reach Rp 1 trillion (US$70.2 billion), to 21.3 million customers affected by the blackout.
However, the compensation will not be in the form of money but will be in the form of a reduction in electricity bills based on the duration of the blackout. Both post- and pre-paid customers will receive compensation. (hen)
