Pakistan (Commonwealth Union)_ In an effort to overcome the ongoing economic crisis and the fuel and power shortage, the federal cabinet introduced the National Energy Conservation Plan, launching measures to guarantee the prudent use of national resources, such as the early closing of markets and restaurants and the elimination of the inappropriate use of electric equipment in all government buildings. According to the government, this strategy would result in hundreds of billions of rupees in savings.
Based on the recommendation of the Power Division, the cabinet convened in a meeting headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and decided to immediately implement the Energy Conservation Plan throughout the country. Following the cabinet meeting, defense minister Khawaja Asif disclosed the key elements of the austerity plan during a press briefing. He stated that energy-saving plans were being implemented nationwide. He also requested that the people alter their habits and lifestyles in order to preserve energy.
According to the defense minister, “We need to change our lifestyle with reference to the use of energy. Our habits are different from the rest of the world. We generate our own energy, instead of natural energy, which incurs production cost”. Asif stated, “With this initiative [early markets closure], which has been taken in consultation with trade bodies, there will be a saving of about Rs 62 billion annually. The plan has been consulted with the business community and they agreed to this initiative”. He added, “The manufacture of inefficient electricity fans will be banned from July 1 and additional duty will be imposed on them, which will help save Rs 15 billion. The production of incandescent light bulbs will also be banned from the 1st of February. This will help save Rs 22 billion.”
As per the current energy conservation strategy, restaurants, hotels, and marketplaces should be closed by 8:30 pm, and wedding halls should be closed by 10 pm. Additionally, the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs and inefficient electric fans would be banned. In addition, the government intended to impose extra taxes on inefficient electric fans. Asif announced a 30% decrease in power use across all federal government organizations. He added that electrical appliances should not be used unnecessarily in any office and that all government institutions will use energy-saving technology.
Asif disclosed that the recent cabinet meeting took place in the sunshine, highlighting the utilization of energy from natural resources. He stated that no energy was used to illuminate the cabinet meeting. He added that 29,000 MW of power is consumed during the summer and 12,000 MW during the winter. In addition, the fans alone require 12,000 MW of power. The majority of them are inefficient, although there are energy-efficient fans available on the market. Similarly, he noted that the usage of streetlights will be regulated to conserve energy. Streetlights would be run at 50%, resulting in Rs 92 billion in savings.
The minister disclosed that motorcyclists alone burn $3 billion worth of gasoline yearly across the nation. As a result, E-bikes will be introduced gradually to minimize fuel usage, and within a year, conical baffles will be fitted inside geysers to conserve gas. The defense minister stated that water charges would be revised to promote water conservation. He stated that the building control authorities will amend the ordinances of housing societies to promote water conservation.
The minister stated that a print, electronic, and social media campaign will be launched to raise awareness about energy conservation. He stated that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) will implement an energy conservation campaign via private television channels and radio stations. Asif responded to a query on the work-from-home policy by stating that a committee led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would make a decision within 8 to 10 days. According to Sherry Rehman, Minister of Climate Change, the work-from-home policy will lead to energy savings and decreased pollution. Rehman stated that this can be an effective technique. Additionally, early shutdown of markets, usage of alternative energy sources, and work-from-home policies can help ameliorate the situation. Reducing energy use will also lower import costs, which will be beneficial to the economy.
According to Energy Minister Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has only held one public hearing on solarization. However, he said that there had been no ruling about net metering. According to the ministers, to relieve the burden on the common man, the cabinet also imposed a reduction in the retail price of 20 medications. Additionally, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been instructed to publish a separate tax directory of the parliamentarians, and there are currently no plans to privatize any government department.
