By Muhammad Mudassar ISLAMABAD, June 14 (INP-WealthPK): To cut the ever-rising oil import bill and conserve electricity amid painful load shedding across the country, the government has decided to take some austerity measures. According to officials, the electricity shortfall has increased to 7,400MW in the country, as the total demand has gone up to 28,400MW against a supply of 21,000MW. According to the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA), Pakistan can save up to 10%-15% primary energy supply through energy efficiency and energy conservation. According to the authority, savings of three million tonnes of oil equivalent from primary energy supply are expected by 2023, taking 2020 as the base year. According to a NEECA report available with WealthPK, over 90% of the energy consumed in the agriculture sector is in the form of electricity, while 10% is in the form of high-speed diesel for irrigation pumps and machinery. On the contrary, the ratio of electricity versus diesel pumps installed in the country is 20:80. The report says that the running cost of electric tube wells is much lower than that of diesel pumps. Meanwhile, the federal cabinet has decided to cut the oil quota of all government officials by 40%. It has also decided to restore Saturday as a holiday. The measure is going to save $368 million per annum in terms of oil imports. Further, a proposal designating Friday as “work-from-home day” is before the cabinet. The authorities are also contemplating switching off alternative streetlights on alternative days by coordinating with the provincial and municipal governments to conserve energy. The government has also decided to shut markets by 8.30pm. However, the business community has shown concerns about the move. Talking to WealthPK, Muhammad Umar, a shopkeeper in Faisalabad, said due to high temperatures, people preferred to go out shopping at night. Therefore, he said the government should review the decision as it would affect businesses. The federal government is also contemplating expanding the network of vehicle tuning centres by coordinating with provinces to improve the fuel consumption and efficiency of vehicles. Restrictions have also been imposed on the purchase of vehicles at the government level, except for utility vehicles such as ambulances, school buses and solid waste management trucks. A complete ban on unnecessary foreign visits by government officials and ministers is also on the cards, except for important bilateral visits. Besides, government officials would also not be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad. The cabinet has also decided to restrict lunches, dinners and hi-teas at government offices and its allied departments and autonomous bodies. Consumption of utilities at the government offices would be reduced by 10%, while the purchase of office equipment and supplies has also been restricted.