The Pakistani government announced a host of proposals on Tuesday to reduce energy use and, in turn, the financial burden on the exchequer, despite the country’s dire economic situation.
To control the mounting debt, the government suggested closing markets and wedding venues at 8:30 and 10 p.m., respectively.
Pakistani government seeks to close marketplaces and wedding venues between 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM as part of a number of energy-saving initiatives.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was quoted by Dawn as saying, “The strategy will transform the whole lifestyle and habit pattern of the nation and save us $26 million (Pkr 60 billion).”
Asif also had a plan to stop making electric fans by July as part of his extreme plans.
“Inefficient fans consume between 120 and 130 watts of power. Fans that consume 60 to 80 watts are readily accessible everywhere.
Radical economy rejeneuating changes will help Pakistan’s economy save $26 million, and there are plans afoot to halt the production of fans and incandescent bulbs
The production of incandescent bulbs will also come to an end starting the next month. To further reduce the labour expense, the government would mandate the use of conical geysers and deploy alternative uses of lamps.
Asif continued by stating that the nation was in a “serious” condition and could not afford to continue using electricity at the same rate. Additionally, he stated that a “work from home policy” would be put into effect.
Pakistan announces intentions to establish a “work from home policy”, its situation is precarious and is unable to sustain present levels of energy use
“Asif also stated, “No lights were on in the cabinet meeting today. All government buildings and workplaces will also minimise their energy use as part of the plan, and a policy to allow employees to work from home will be finished in 10 days. The meeting took place in broad daylight.”
The circular debt of the nation, according to sources citing Pakistan’s electricity sector, was $10.5 billion (Rs2.437 trillion), an increase of $815 million (Rs185 billion) from September of previous year.
At present Pakistan is unable to provide basic amenities to common Pakistani citizen, people forced to store LPG in plastic balloons and bags due to governments abysmal failure to address supply shortages
Because to the status of the economy, a typical Pakistani citizen cannot receive even the most basic services from Islamabad. Notably, due to the government’s failure to address the supply deficit, people are being compelled to store LPG (cooking gas) in plastic bags and balloons.
Due to a scarcity, residents of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province can be seen in films that have gone popular on various social media platforms storing cooking gas in plastic bags.
According to local media reports, the province’s Hangu City’s residents have reportedly been without gas for the previous two years.
Pakistan’s Harrowing Fiscal deficit
In Pakistan, the fiscal deficit during July through October 2022–23 was 1.5 percent of GDP. Last month, the nation’s foreign exchange reserves decreased by $294 million to $5.8 billion, reaching their lowest level since April 2014. This decline was principally caused by the repayment of external debt.
As a result, financial experts have raised the alarm about Pakistan’s potential for default.
