PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Monday approved the “Fuel Conservation and Responsible Governance Initiative,” introducing a series of austerity measures in response to the evolving international situation and rising fuel prices.
According to Shafi Jan, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, the fuel-saving strategy will be implemented for an initial period of two months on the instructions of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
He stated that an extension of these measures would be considered after an analysis of the situation.
Under the new policy, the cabinet has approved a 25 per cent reduction in the fuel allowance for government vehicles. This brings the total reduction to 50 per cent, as a 25 per cent cut has remained in effect since the Covid-19 period. However, police, rescue services, and law enforcement agencies will be exempt from these cuts.
As part of the initiative, meetings within government departments have been directed to be 100 per cent virtual. The provincial government has also decided to introduce a 50 per cent work-from-home policy for government offices.
Further austerity measures include a drastic reduction in the unnecessary use of VIP protocol vehicles and helicopters. The provincial government has also placed a ban on unnecessary official events and dinners to ensure frugality in public expenditure.
The cabinet has proposed keeping educational institutions closed on Fridays to further reduce fuel consumption, with a preference for virtual classes on those days.
Shafi Jan further informed that daily monitoring of petrol pumps would be conducted, and strict action would be taken against hoarding. He assured that the supply of diesel to farmers for the wheat harvest would be prioritised. He added that the provincial government aimed to implement these saving measures to protect the economy without placing an additional burden on the people.
