APINDO South Kalimantan Highlights Rolling Blackouts, Says They Paralyze MSMEs and Weaken Local Economy
Monday, 06 July 2026
BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan – Rolling power outages in several areas have drawn strong criticism from the South Kalimantan Provincial Leadership Council (DPP) of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO). The employers’ organization said the disruptions to electricity supply were no longer merely a technical issue, but had begun to hamper business activities and undermine the local economy.
Chairman of DPP APINDO South Kalimantan, Winardi Sethiono, said the explanation provided by the state-owned electricity company PLN regarding the outages had yet to provide sufficient clarity to the public. He argued that if the disruptions were solely caused by technical problems at power plants, their impact should not have spread across various parts of Kalimantan, let alone extended to several areas on the islands of Java and Sumatra.
“If the reason is a lack of energy resources, Kalimantan, as a major coal-producing region, should not be facing such a problem. Nearly all parts of Kalimantan are coal-producing areas,” Winardi said on Sunday (July 5).
He said the situation reflected persistent weaknesses in the governance of Indonesia’s national energy sector. Despite the country’s abundant energy resources, he noted, they have yet to be managed and utilized optimally for the benefit of the public.
“God has blessed Indonesia with abundant coal resources. It is unfortunate if they are not properly managed. It is like a ‘dead mouse in a rice granary,’” he said.
According to Winardi, businesses have borne the brunt of the outages, particularly micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Many APINDO South Kalimantan members have reported disruptions to production processes, delays in fulfilling orders, and the risk of equipment damage caused by power interruptions.
Digital economic activities have also been severely disrupted. Electronic payment systems, app-based ordering, and business communications are now heavily dependent on a stable electricity supply.
“If this had happened 15 years ago, the impact might not have been as significant as it is today. Almost all business activities are now technology-based. Therefore, electricity has become a basic necessity, rather than merely a supporting facility,” he stressed.
As an organization representing the business community, APINDO South Kalimantan has called on PLN, together with regional and central governments, to take immediate and concrete measures to address the issue.
“We call for honest and transparent decisions that genuinely put the interests of the people first, so that these power outages do not continue indefinitely,” he said.
Winardi emphasized that power outages do more than simply turn off the lights. They have caused tangible economic losses for businesses and disrupted the circulation of economic activity within communities.
Therefore, APINDO South Kalimantan has proposed a comprehensive audit of PLN’s governance to ensure that the root causes of the outages are identified and made publicly known.
He also said the government should evaluate the national electricity supply system if the problems stem from weaknesses in governance.
“If services are indeed not optimal, it is time for an evaluation. The public should also be given choices among service providers that can deliver better services, so that service quality continues to improve,” he concluded.
Source: Wartaniaga.com
