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SMEs see red in the dark
Chitra Rohini who runs a communications shop at Kelaniya, is now at her wits end, as her business has been severely affected by the recent power-cuts.
“As we do a lot of laminating and photocopying, power is essential for us. When the power-cuts commenced, there was a drop in the number of customers, as we were known to keep to deadlines, and are now facing a loss,” Rohini said.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has enforced power cuts islandwide, reportedly due to constant breakdowns in the Norochcholai power plant. Within a month, the power-cut lengthened from two-hours 15-minutes to three-hours 20-minutes.
W. Nishantha who owns a printing facility at Negombo, said he faces a similar situation and now intends to instal a backup generator to overcome these unannounced power-cuts, which, consequently, escalates cost.
Some shops are also on the verge of shutting down.Nihal Perera owns a small meat shop at Biyagama. He now procures smaller quantities of meat as he does not have the facility to provide extra cold storage.
“I now purchase sufficient ice for the meat I procure, if the quantity is high, then the investment on storage also increases,” said a worried Perera.
Unhappily, he has to turn away customers, as he does not have sufficient stocks of meat to cater to all his customers.
The fish and tea trades are also severely affected by the power cuts.Traders engaged in the export of fish said distribution of fresh fish required ample power for its cold storage, but during power outages, they have to purchase ice for refrigeration.
Similarly, certain tea manufacturers are investing in backup generators for their huge facilities, with the related investment running into millions.
Tiran Peiris who owns a tea factory in the upcountry, has a backup generator for his entire facility, making him poorer by millions.
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