Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal government has announced to close markets and restaurants to conserve electricity and fuel with immediate effect.
Markets, commercial and shopping centres and restaurants will remain shut at 8 pm and wedding halls at 10 pm across the country.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad along with Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Energy and Power Khurram Dastagir, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman and other cabinet members, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that commercial and shopping centers, restaurants and food outlets will be closed at 8 pm in the evening and marriage halls at 10 pm, which will help save up to Rs62 billion every month.
Cabinet national energy saving plan
The minister said that all these decisions are taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The cabinet approved the national saving plan forwarded by the ministry of energy, seeking the reduction in the use of electricity in government offices by up to 30 per cent.
He said that LED bulbs and efficient fans will be introduced and used in government offices initially and the scope of the energy saver bulbs will be expanded to the country.
Khawaja Asif said that the manufacture of fans using excessive electricity will be stopped by July and import duty on inefficient fans will be increased up to 30 per cent.
The minister said that after Feb 1, radiant bulbs would not be manufactured in the country and additional taxes will be imposed on such imported bulbs, which will help save up to Rs22 billion annually.
He said that the premier has issued instructions to ban the use of electric appliances in government offices to conserve electricity.
He said that an additional levy will be imposed on inefficient fans from next month to save electricity.
He said that Pakistan uses as much as 29,000MW of electricity in the summer and that falls up to 12000 MW in the winter. He said that 100 per cent of street lights will not be used.
The minister said that the government has decided to use street lights alternatively which would help save up to Rs4 billion per month.
He said that (conical buffers) devices will be used in geysers to save gas consumption, which will save up to Rs92 billion annually. Its use will be encouraged across country.
The minister said that electric motorcycles will be introduced that would save up to $ 3 billion petrol per annum. He also said that solar power usage will also be encouraged.
