José Gregorio Rodríguez, president of the National Council of Commerce and Services (Consecomercio), demanded that the National Electrical Corporation (Corpoelec) urgently publish a formal schedule of electricity rationing. According to Rodríguez, the measure would allow merchants and industrialists to plan their operations in the face of the energy crisis facing the country.
Rodríguez noted that the lack of predictability in service interruptions causes significant losses in the productive and commercial sectors. He argued that having official information about the hours of power cuts would allow merchants to organise their staff, reschedule sales, maintain cold chains and inventories, while the current uncertainty generates economic damage.
The sector's spokesman also questioned the public service rates charged to the private sector during periods of inactivity. He called for a review of charges for solid waste collection, arguing that it is unfair for companies closed due to lack of electricity to pay as if they were operating at full capacity.
Rodríguez praised negotiations by the national Executive with multinationals such as Siemens and General Electric to rehabilitate the National Electrical System, as well as legal reforms that allow private participation in energy generation and distribution. However, he noted that electrical stability remains the priority guarantee to sustain any economic recovery in the central and western states of the country.
