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View all search resultsProlonged rolling blackouts squeeze small businesses in Kalimantan
Widespread power disruptions have hit multiple regions across Indonesia in recent months, affecting parts of Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan and raising concerns over the reliability of the country's electricity grid.
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City in the dark: A vendor prepares drinks for customers on Saturday, May 23, 2026, during a power outage in Nagari Kasang, Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra. Rolling blackouts continued to affect several areas in West Sumatra, with scheduled outages taking place in different regions. (Antara/Fitra Yogi)
W
eeks of rolling blackouts across parts of Kalimantan have dealt a heavy blow to small businesses, as a series of power outages across the country raises fresh questions about state utility PLN's reliability.
Among those affected is Lilis, a beverage vendor in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan who says the frequent outages have severely disrupted her business. Her drink stall relies heavily on electricity to operate a cup-sealing machine used to package beverages in plastic cups.
"The power goes out here almost every day for about four hours," Lilis said on Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.com.
According to Lilis, the rolling blackouts have persisted for nearly two weeks. Each time the electricity is cut, she has no choice but to temporarily close her stall, as her business cannot operate without power.
"When the electricity goes out, we have to close. We only reopen once the power comes back," she said. "If we keep having to shut down like this, our sales will definitely decline."
Pasha, another small business owner in Banjarbaru who runs a frozen food store, said the prolonged blackouts have jeopardized his business, with repeated power cuts threatening the quality of his products by shutting down the freezers that keep them frozen.
He is also concerned that unstable voltage when electricity is cut or restored could damage the compressors in his refrigeration units, adding to his operating costs.
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