The government is ready to take harsh steps under a national ''money and energy'' saving programme basically worked out for judicious use of indigenous available resources to reduce dependence on loans to a possible level. The programme envisages short and long term measures.
Sources said short term steps being recommended to the federal cabinet in its next meeting include ban on import of luxury cars, ban on marriage parties at night, closure of lights in food streets after 10 pm, reduction in street lighting, shut down of electricity in public parks after 9.00 pm and stoppage of last show in cinemas throughout the country.
Closure of petrol pumps for one day every week, two days holidays a week for saving electricity, gas and other resources which are being spent on the government and public transport are also the part of the national saving programme.
Other steps recommended to the federal cabinet include launching of a campaign of one bulb closure in compounds/yards. It also includes introduction of higher capacity public transport vehicles and introduction of mass transit transport in the major cities to save fuel to cut down import bill.
Long term steps include mini hydel generation like Nandipur on Head Marala canal, zone distribution of energy for industrial, commercial and residential sectors. These also included small size generation on perennial canals, water channels in northern areas and mass education on energy utilisation.
New and renewable sources of energy and coal resources utilisation are also a part of the national saving programme. The possible steps for implementation of the national saving programme were discussed here at a meeting on Monday. The working paper presented at the meeting said annual requirement of POL products in 2007-08 was around 19 million tones which was arranged through import of 9 million tones of deficit petroleum products and remaining was produced in the local refineries by processing of imported and local crude oil.
It added that petroleum products imported during 2007-08 were as follows. HSD 4.5 million tones, kerosene oil 4.2 million tones, jet fuel 0.119 million tones, and motor spirit 0.127 million tones.
The meeting was informed that during 2008-09, total demand of petroleum products is estimated at 21.48 million tones, 9.9 million tones of deficit petroleum product valuing $7,427 million while the rest of demand will be met from local refinery production.
It was told that five major oil refineries are functional in Pakistan with 1.3 million tones refining capacity. 12 oil marketing companies (OMCs) provide refined products in Pakistan, having 6,087 retail outlets.
Only HSD and MS is sold through petrol pumps throughout the country. According to current estimates for demand of HSD and MS a weekly off in sale of these products would reduce their total demand by 14 percent on annual basis. HSD to be saved by one off 1,173 tones and MS 213 tones.
It would be relevant to point out that exact quantum of POL product conservation due to one day closure of petrol pumps can not be determined as the customers will fill their vehicles a day before. High Speed Diesel (HSD) and Furnace Oil (FO) are main deficit products. The annual import of HSD/FO is about 4.5 million tones each valuing around 6 billion.
To cut down import of these products, following steps need to be taken: Maximise indigenous production of oil to enhance production of HSD/FO by local refineries; maximise exploitation/use of coal to replace furnace oil in power/industry; maximise indigenous gas production for use in the power/industry to reduce furnace oil consumption; increase hydel power generation to reduce FO consumption.
The national saving programme also includes introduction of mass transport system, especially in major cities to reduce HSD consumption. Energy conservation policy must also be announced to rationalise the genuine use of these two deficit fuels.
Other measures which are being recommended to the federal cabinet are annual vehicle check ups in order to optimise fuel consumption, tuning of boilers and furnaces at industry level, optimisation of bus routes within cities (shortcut travel distance) needs to be implemented.
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