As part of efforts to conserve energy, the federal and provincial administrations have unanimously decided to close markets nationwide by 8 pm, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday.
The minister announced this during a press conference in Islamabad after an NEC meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and approved the estimated budget figures.
Iqbal said issues pertaining to energy and infrastructure were discussed during the meeting, adding that “energy is become a huge challenge for Pakistan due to global prices”.
The federal minister said chief ministers of three provinces — Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — participated in the huddle while the planning minister of Balochistan represented the provincial government.
Iqbal recalled that the federal cabinet had vowed to enforce decisions under a National Energy Conservation Plan in January this year. “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 federal cabinet in January reviewed an energy conservation plan that called for markets to close at 8:30 p.m. and wedding venues to close at 10 p.m., the use of energy-efficient electronics, and a 40% cut in power usage in government buildings.
Additional taxes on inefficient electric fans were also suggested, along with the use of LED lighting, the introduction of electric bikes, the phase-out of gasoline-powered motorcycles, and the illumination of street lights at only 50% of their potential.
