Experts Concerned About the Impact of 'Electricity Imbalance' on Market Shutdowns, Workers Protest Working Under 'Cancer-Causing Sun Rays'

A labor activist protested that the shutdowns caused by the severe heat wave have been 'oppressive and discriminatory,' forcing workers to work under cancer-causing sun rays. He questioned 'why the government and officials' who issue 'circulars' to close offices and banks due to the heat and electricity shortages do not see the workers. According to ILNA news agency, 'Parviz Za'imi,' a labor activist from Iran Poplin in Rasht, added: 'Why have they categorized workers, considering a large group as second-class citizens, and ordered that workers must work under any conditions, disregarding their health?' He emphasized: 'If the goal is to reduce electricity consumption, which is highest in industries and factories, government offices consume less electricity.' The electricity imbalance, alongside the increased demand due to the extreme heat and mismanagement, ultimately led to the partial shutdown of the public sector and banks in Iran on Saturday and a complete shutdown on Sunday, July 29. The website Khabaronline reported on the impact of office closures on 'paralyzing the country's economy,' stating that the partial shutdown of the currency market on Saturday and the announcement of the complete shutdown on Sunday, July 29, fueled speculation and rumors among traders about a potential 10-day nationwide shutdown due to the inability to produce electricity. Some economic analysts predict that maintaining the current dollar price with 'the shutdown of the capital and paralyzing the country's economy is the easiest way for a government that is nearing its end.' According to economic experts' analysis, the electricity imbalance in the country has reached a point where even cutting off electricity to production units will not solve the electricity problem; only shutting down the country and reducing consumption can address the issue. Meanwhile, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, spokesperson for the electricity industry, stated to ILNA about the 'unprecedented demand of 79,000 megawatts' in recent days, indicating an increase of 'over 6,000 megawatts' compared to last year. The CEO of Tavanir added that to meet this consumption demand, 'about 9,000 megawatts of power plants need to be constructed, which, even if funding is secured, will still take three to four years to build and secure fuel.' Reports indicate that while the Islamic Republic has spent a significant portion of the country's resources over the past 20 years under the pretext of 'electricity production' to develop its nuclear programs and 'complete the Bushehr power plant,' citizens are facing the recurring problem of widespread electricity outages during the summer and rising temperatures in Iran. Experts attribute the lack of planning and behavior outside economic frameworks in developmental issues as the main cause of the energy imbalance and believe that with this style of governance, there is no hope for improvement. Previously, the newspaper 'Donya-e-Eqtesad' wrote about the reasons for the current situation: 'The mismatch between revenues and expenses has led investors to show little interest in the electricity industry and prefer to invest in other industries, while the government, which pays heavy subsidies to residential and agricultural consumers, is unable to construct power plants or even pay the debts of power plant owners, contractors, and equipment producers in the electricity industry.'