JAKARTA: Indonesia continues to grapple with power outages as rolling blackouts over the weekend have disrupted household and commercial activities in parts of West Java, East Java, Yogyakarta and other areas connected to the Java-Madura-Bali grid.

The disruptions have been particularly challenging for micro, small and medium enterprises, many of which depend on uninterrupted electricity to operate.

“I suspect these conditions may continue for perhaps another two weeks,” Fabby Tumiwa, chief executive officer of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), said in an interview with Kompas TV on Saturday, urging state-owned utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to provide clearer information regarding scheduled outages, so that consumers could better prepare.

According to Fabby, outages lasting three to five hours have forced many businesses to suspend operations or rely on costly diesel generators.

In East Java, Agus Priambodo, deputy chairman of the Malang Market Traders Association, told Detik that electricity outages on Saturday cut off power supply to markets, with some traders resorting to emergency lamps and flashlights to continue serving customers.