Industry Swelters in a Hot Egyptian Summer

摘要

As Egyptian industrialist Moataz al-Alfi enjoys the chilly blast from his air conditioning-the first time in three summers his Cairo home has had a reliable electricity supply-he knows the cool air is coming at the expense of his fertilizer factories. The government has taken "a sovereign decision that it's more important to generate electricity" for households than provide energy to factories, says al-Alfi, chairman of Egypt Kuwait Holding. Although the government has been practicing such triage since 2011, it's "much worse" this year, he says. Repeated power cuts, especially during the summer months, helped ignite popular anger against Islamist President and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Mursi, who was toppled by the army in July 2013 after widespread protests. The current government, led by former army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, isn't taking any chances. With fuel supplies low, the primary focus is keeping the lights on and the air conditioners humming at home.