ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has announced that the National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the decision to close all markets across the country at 8 PM as part of the energy conservation plan.
Addressing a press conference, Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal informed that the NEC meeting was held, with representation from all provinces, to assess the prevailing situation. It was decided unanimously that starting from July 1, all businesses would be closed at 8 PM, he said.
He further stated that a consensus was reached to ensure the implementation of the decision to close markets at 8 PM. The federal minister emphasized that controlling energy consumption was crucial, as it accounted for a significant portion of expenditures, and taking measures to address it would help in resolving several issues.
Ahsan Iqbal highlighted that the production of electricity during the summer season posed the biggest challenge, and to fulfill the demands of domestic consumers, it was agreed upon to close markets early. He expressed the commitment of all stakeholders to take further important decisions in the future regarding this matter.
Additionally, the decision of the federal cabinet was endorsed by the chief ministers, in which it was decided to replace old bulbs with energy-efficient LED lights and implement green energy projects.
The chief ministers also agreed to formulate and implement an energy policy, as well as reduce the import bill for fuelm he said. Furthermore, the approval for the initiation of the Federal Flood Protection Program was granted by the NEC.
Meanwhile, the National Economic Council (NEC) approved the annual development programme, with the total volume standing at Rs2,709 billion for the upcoming budget, sources say.
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the NEC meeting, it was decided, according to the sources, that the Centre would spend Rs950 billion under the PSDP (Public Sector Development Programme).
On the other hand, the proposed total outlay for the provinces development programme stands at Rs1,559 billion.
Meanwhile, another allocation of Rs250 billion has been approved under public-private partnership for executing development projects across the country.
