Power cuts cost Tunisian businesses 13 working days
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Tunisia Online
Summer 2026 power cuts caused production and turnover losses for Tunisian businesses, according to a survey by the Arab Institute of Business Leaders. Over the two months studied, 96% of companies surveyed experienced outages and the average loss reached 13 working days, according to the IACE study.
The Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) estimates the direct loss of added value linked to electricity outages suffered by Tunisian businesses in July and August 2026 at 1,269.6 million dinars, according to the results of its survey on their economic impact. Manufacturing accounts for 671.5 million dinars of this shortfall, ahead of services (316.1 million) and trade (282.1 million).
In total, 96% of the businesses surveyed experienced outages, including 58.3% several times a day. They lost an average of 13 working days over the two months studied, while 29% said they had lost at least 20 days. Nearly two-thirds also reported material damage, particularly to engines, compressors and production machinery, according to IACE.
A fall in turnover affected 63.5% of respondents and 83% of industrial businesses. Among exporters, 29.4% said they had missed deadlines, resulting in penalties or lost customers, while 8.3% had turned to subcontracting or imports to offset the disruption. IACE’s estimate does not include damage to equipment, lost customers or penalties.
Before the summer, 56% of businesses had no backup equipment, but 74% plan to invest over the next 12 months to secure their electricity supply. None of the businesses surveyed said they had received compensation, while 1% said they had submitted a compensation claim, according to IACE.
