LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday urged the government to immediately announce oil and fuel reduction measures for the nation to slow down oil usage by the masses.
In a letter to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, LCCI President Mian Nauman Kabir said that an oil, fuel and energy crisis is inching towards the country and the government would have to take measures on an emergency basis.
Mian Nauman Kabir said that the government should declare Saturday and Sunday as complete holidays while one hour should be increased in other days. He said “Sunday should be considered a complete petrol-free day except for medical reasons” and people should go for grocery and other necessary shopping on Sunday to the nearby shops by foot or bicycle.
He said that till the time international oil prices come down, the usage of more than 1800cc vehicles should be strongly discouraged for the sake of economy.
The LCCI President said that these measures should be taken without wasting a single moment otherwise no sector would be left untouched by a severe crisis.
While calling for daylight usage, Mian Nauman Kabir said that it would help bring down the skyrocketing utility cost. He added that by using daylight through installing effective skylights and panels, a business can cut its usage of traditional artificial lighting by as much as 80 percent, resulting in a substantially lower monthly utility bill. He said that according to various studies, daylight can be significantly healthier for workplace human resources.
The LCCI President said that conservation of energy and less reliance on energy produced from imported raw materials is the need of the hour. He said that Pakistan is one of those countries that are heavily dependent on hydrocarbon fuel for energy production. He said that this results in severe CO2 emissions that lead to climate change. He added that although renewable energy resources such as wind and solar are available in abundance, they have not been fully utilized and so energy crises in Pakistan increase every year.
“Energy plays an important role in shaping a country’s economy”, Mian Nauman Kabir said, adding that in identifying different sources of energy, environmental impact, fuel source, and social impact are very much under consideration. He said that huge investments have been made in research and development of renewable energy worldwide, not only to counter environmental degradation but to create energy-secure countries but the situation in Pakistan is not encouraging.
The LCCI President said that energy conservation is the practice of using less fuel and energy costs and reducing environmental impact.
He said that this can use less oil, fuel, electricity, gas or any other form of energy that the people get from utility and pay for.
While energy conservation is the practice of trying to use less energy for cost and environmental reasons, energy efficiency means using specific products designed to use less energy. These two concepts are inherently similar but involve different methods. Examples of energy conservation include using smart appliances and energy-saving bulbs in your home. He added that to reduce energy consumption and increase energy savings, masses would have to adjust day-to-day behaviors.
Mian Nauman Kabir hoped that the government would understand the gravity of the situation and would immediately announce Oil/Fuel reduction measures for the masses to slow down oil usage by the people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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