ISLAMABAD: The federal government has begun considering the implementation of a “Petroleum Smart Lockdown” in a bid to reduce fuel consumption and costs, with a proposal to introduce a work-from-home policy for employees.
Reports indicate that the federal government is exploring these measures amid rising fuel costs in the country and increasing petroleum product prices in the global market.
A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during which key proposals aimed at reducing fuel consumption, conserving national resources and cutting government travel expenses were discussed in detail.
Under the proposed smart lockdown, government and private offices may operate four days a week, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday designated as holidays. The measure aims to significantly reduce vehicular movement on the roads and, consequently, fuel consumption.
The government is also considering a rotation system for office attendance, alongside permitting certain employees to work from home.
As part of these fuel-saving measures, a proposal has been put forward to ground 50 percent of government vehicles, effectively taking them out of service.
The primary objective of these initiatives is to ease the growing financial burden on the national exchequer, protect the public from the severe impact of inflation, and substantially reduce domestic fuel consumption.
