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Venezuela to Begin Electricity Rationing

Venezuela to Begin Electricity Rationing
Venezuela to Begin Electricity Rationing

Venezuela's government said it will turn off electricity supply in its 10 most populous states for four hours a day for at least 40 days to deal with a severe power shortage. The power-saving plan will start next week.

It is the latest drastic measure aimed at alleviating the country's severe electricity crisis, Al Jazeera reported.

Previous measures included giving government workers an extra day off each week for two months, asking shopping malls to generate their own power, shifting the country's time zone forward by 30 minutes and urging women to stop using their hair dryers.

"Previous measures unfortunately failed," Luis Motta Dominguez, Venezuela's energy minister, said on Thursday. "Each user will have a temporary suspension of four hours a day. The plan will last approximately 40 days."

Announcing the restrictions, Dominguez said the hours of suspension would be published on a daily basis in newspapers and on ministerial websites. He said the cuts would not happen between 8 p.m. and midday.

Financialtribune.com