Cancun, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s national commerce chamber and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) have agreed to create a permanent working group to speed up responses to power outages that have been hurting small businesses across the country, particularly in Quintana Roo.
The agreement came during a meeting between Octavio de la Torre, president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (CONCANACO SERVYTUR), and CFE Director General Emilia Esther Calleja Alor. The two reviewed a nationwide survey by the business group on losses caused by electrical interruptions.
Under the deal, both institutions will set up permanent coordination tables to track problems reported by the commercial sector and design preventive measures. They will also establish a direct communication line between CFE and local chambers of commerce to accelerate the handling of outage reports.
The accord includes broader promotion of insurance policies available to businesses that suffer damage from blackouts, as well as the “CFE Contigo” program, which provides support to business users.
“When government and the business sector work together in a coordinated manner, the main beneficiaries are family businesses, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and millions of workers who drive the country’s economy,” de la Torre said.
The announcement comes as Quintana Roo has experienced frequent blackouts in recent months in areas including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The outages have affected residents, shops, hotels and restaurants.
Business owners in the state say power cuts cause economic losses due to halted operations, damage to electrical equipment and spoilage of perishable goods, especially during the peak tourist season and hot weather when energy consumption rises sharply.
The new communication mechanisms aim to reduce response times and improve service for establishments that depend on a continuous power supply.
