Ramadan by Candlelight: Power Outages Worsen Citizens’ Hardship and Embarrass SOMELEC

Since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the capital and several inland cities have been experiencing repeated disruptions in electricity supply, triggering widespread frustration among citizens and traders alike. Sudden power outages have become a daily occurrence, disrupting people’s lives and compounding their difficulties during a month that is meant to be marked by calm and ease.
Criticism has largely focused on the performance of the National Electricity Company (SOMELEC), as many subscribers believe the service no longer meets even the minimum standards of stability—particularly during peak hours and shortly before iftar. The consequences of these outages extend beyond inconvenience, causing direct financial losses, including damage to household appliances, shutdowns of commercial equipment, and spoilage of goods that depend on refrigeration and preservation.
Several traders confirmed that the recurring outages have caused significant losses and negatively affected their daily business activities during a period that typically witnesses increased commercial movement throughout Ramadan. Citizens have also expressed dissatisfaction over what they describe as the absence of serious solutions, calling for a clear plan to ensure electricity stability or, at the very least, prior notification of scheduled outages when necessary to reduce losses and limit disruption.
The question remains as to what urgent measures will be taken to address this crisis, amid growing public demands to improve service quality and guarantee continuity—especially during sensitive periods of the year.