Surabaya Businesses Suffer Losses Amidst Frequent Power Outages

A recent three-hour power outage in Surabaya, East Java, has caused significant financial distress for local businesses, with one frozen food entrepreneur estimating losses of Rp2 million (approximately US$112) after his products spoiled.

Faza Shamlan, the entrepreneur, was forced to discard 40 packs of frozen food scheduled for delivery after a power outage on the morning of June 20, 2026, rendered his freezer inoperable. "I had to throw everything away," he stated on June 25, expressing frustration at incurring a loss during a time when business is already challenging.

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I had to throw everything away.

His relative, who operates a bakery nearby, faced a similar fate. Dough being baked in an electric oven was ruined, crippling the bakery's operations. These incidents have drawn the attention of the Surabaya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Ali Affandi La Nyalla Mahmud Mattalitti, Chairperson of Surabaya Kadin, highlighted that the outages impact a wide range of businesses, including restaurants, retailers, small manufacturers, printing shops, laundries, auto repair shops, and digital enterprises. "A power outage of just two to four hours means lost revenue, disrupted production, spoiled raw materials, and canceled customer orders," he said. Kadin has established a complaint center to collect information from affected businesses, which will serve as the basis for developing policy recommendations to address the recurring issue.

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A power outage of just two to four hours means lost revenue, disrupted production, spoiled raw materials, and canceled customer orders.