Web Desk
The federal and provincial governments have reached a unanimous decision to close markets across the country by 8pm as part of their efforts to conserve energy, announced Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday. He made this announcement during a media briefing following the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in Islamabad.
Minister Ahsan Iqbal stated that the Chief Ministers of Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the Planning Minister of Balochistan, participated in the meeting. The implementation of this initiative could lead to an annual saving of approximately $1 billion, he added.
He further mentioned that the provincial government representatives present at the NEC meeting were advised to ensure the execution of this decision in order to conserve precious resources.
Minister Iqbal emphasized that energy has become a significant challenge for Pakistan, and the government is committed to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and imported oil. The focus will be shifted towards energy conservation, while promoting the use of green energy sources such as solar, hydel, and wind power. Additionally, no new fuel-based projects relying on imported sources will be introduced.
It is worth noting that in January of this year, the federal government approved an energy conservation plan that included closing markets and malls by 8:30pm. The plan also banned the use of inefficient appliances, aiming to save approximately Rs62 billion annually.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had specifically directed relevant authorities to reduce electricity usage by all federal government departments by 30%.
The government coalition claims that these measures, if fully implemented, will save the country around Rs62 billion ($273.4 million) and contribute to a reduction in the energy import bill.
However, it should be noted that the implementation of these measures has not been fully enforced nationwide.
