Venezuelan Commerce Council Demands Official Schedule for Power Outages

Venezuela's National Council of Commerce and Services (Consecomercio) is urgently calling on the state-run National Electric Corporation (Corpoelec) to release a formal schedule for electricity cuts. José Gregorio Rodríguez, president of Consecomercio, emphasized that the current energy contingency requires predictable information to allow businesses to plan their operations effectively.

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We require and demand that Corpoelec at least inform and publish the schedules for power outages.

Rodríguez stated in an interview with Unión Radio that the uncertainty surrounding service interruptions leads to substantial losses in the productive and commercial sectors. "We require and demand that Corpoelec at least inform and publish the schedules for power outages," he said. "If a merchant or an industry is told they will have no power from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., that merchant plans their staff, reprograms their sales, their cold chain, their inventory. The problem is the uncertainty of not knowing when the power goes out or when it returns."

Beyond the electricity crisis, Consecomercio also addressed the burden of public service fees, particularly waste collection charges, for private businesses during periods of inactivity. Rodríguez requested a review of these fees, arguing that it is unfair for businesses to be charged as if operating at full capacity when they have been closed for weeks or months due to power outages or other contingencies. "We ask that the urban sanitation fee be suspended during those periods of inactivity or adjusted to the reality of what is produced," he argued.

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If a merchant or an industry is told they will have no power from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., that merchant plans their staff, reprograms their sales, their cold chain, their inventory. The problem is the uncertainty of not knowing when the power goes out or when it returns.

While acknowledging the national government's efforts to negotiate with international companies like Siemens and General Electric for the rehabilitation of the National Electric System (SEN), Rodríguez stressed that electrical stability is the primary guarantee for any economic recovery. He noted that reforms allowing private sector participation in energy generation and distribution are positive steps, but consistent power supply remains paramount for businesses in the central and western regions of the country.

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We ask that the urban sanitation fee be suspended during those periods of inactivity or adjusted to the reality of what is produced.