The president of the Association of Tourism Businesses in the Historic Center of Campeche, Abraham Azar Wabi, called on the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and authorities at all three levels of government to implement a strategy to end the constant power outages and voltage fluctuations affecting the city’s central area, warning that these failures are already causing significant economic losses for businesses.
In an interview, the business leader stated that power cuts have become a constant problem and that some establishments have been without service for more than 10 days, a situation that directly impacts sales, product preservation, and business operations.
“This affects us considerably. We know that some businesses have been without power for more than 10 days, and this causes very serious problems for businesses,” he said.
As an example, he recalled the frequent momentary power outages on 59th Street, noting that service interruptions are common in one of Campeche’s busiest commercial and tourist areas.
Azar Wabi explained that the power dips also damage electrical equipment such as televisions, refrigerators, and air conditioners, resulting in additional expenses for businesses.
“A plan and a strategy need to be developed because we can’t accept the constant power outages in the Historic Center as normal,” he stated.
He indicated that replacing damaged equipment can represent significant investments, as an air conditioner can cost around 30,000 pesos, a television between 10,000 and 15,000 pesos, in addition to losses from merchandise and supplies that become unusable.
The business leader pointed out that, besides the material damage, the power outages disrupt the daily operations of businesses. He recalled that last week a city block was without electricity for approximately eight hours, from afternoon until night, forcing businesses to suspend operations and find ways to preserve their products.
He explained that losses vary depending on the type of business, but estimated that a single day without sales can represent lost revenue of around 10,000 pesos, in addition to the cost of supplies and fixed expenses that must be covered despite the service interruption.
He emphasized that the problem arises during a difficult season for the sector, as June and July are typically among the months with the least economic activity due to the rains.
Azar Wabi believes that part of the problem originates in CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) utility boxes located within the Historic Center that remain flooded, which presumably contributes to the power outages.
Finally, he urged the CFE and the relevant authorities to intervene in a coordinated manner to resolve the underlying problem and prevent further economic damage, job losses, and all that this entails.
Source: lajornadamaya
