The National Economic Council (NEC) on Tuesday met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair seeking implementation of ‘early to bed, early to rise’ policy in the provinces in true letter and spirit.
The policy approved by the Federal Cabinet earlier this year was aimed at averting energy crisis in Pakistan.
It was part of the NEC’s recommendations that were made under the Energy Conservation Plan which among others suggested closure of shops and commercial centers by 8pm.
Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said during a press conference in Islamabad that the NEC had approved the energy conservation plan that included closure of shops and commercial centres by 8pm, switching to LED lights and upgrading geysers to make them more energy efficient, could help the country save up to $1 billion annually.
Iqbal recalled that the federal cabinet had earlier approved the energy conservation plan, “but there was no representation of provinces in that meeting. So we took it up again in the NEC, where provincial government representatives were also present.
“And now we hope that provincial governments will ensure the implementation of the energy conservation package that has been approved today.”
The provincial governments were urged to implement the energy conservation plan during the NEC’s meeting which had representation of all the provinces, said the Prime Minister’s Office statement, issued after the NEC’s meeting where estimated budget figures were approved.
The PMO statement highlighted that the National Energy Conservation Plan, which was previously approved by the federal cabinet in January, was discussed during the NEC meeting. The plan suggests closing markets at 8:30pm and wedding halls at 10pm, promoting the use of energy-efficient electronic appliances, and reducing power consumption in government offices by 40 percent.
Furthermore, the plan proposes imposing additional duties on inefficient electric fans, encouraging the use of LED bulbs, introducing electric bikes, and phasing out petrol-run motorcycles. Additionally, the plan suggests illuminating street lights at only 50 percent capacity.
Implementing the energy conservation plan is expected to reduce the country’s fuel import bill by 10-15 percent or approximately Rs1 billion in a short period. The provincial governments have been urged to play their part in implementing the various aspects of the plan to fulfill this national duty.
The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT), representing the trader community, immediately opposed the government’s move to close shops by 8pm. The APAT president, Ajmal Baloch, stated that shops would not be closed at 8pm this summer and called for dialogue between the government and traders to resolve the matter.
