Energy saving plan: PM Shehbaz wants phased plan to run bikes on electricity

Chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet, Shehbaz directed his administration to devise a plan to convert motorcycles operating in the country to run on electric power.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing by the Ministry of Industries and Production regarding the generalization of the use of electric bikes across the country.

Currently, around 90 companies in Pakistan manufacture motorcycles and auto rickshaws with a capacity to manufacture 6 million motorcycles annually.

PM Shehbaz and the rest of the cabinet were told that 22 companies were issued licenses to manufacture electric bikes in Pakistan.

The meeting was further informed that the promotion of electric bikes would save a lot in terms of fuel.

The use of electric bikes will not only save fuel, but will also prove to be eco-friendly by reducing carbon emissions which contribute to phenomenon such as smog.

The prime minister directed to submit a detailed plan regarding electric bikes to the Economic Coordination Committee.

Power saving

Prime Minister Shehbaz also directed to set up a committee to work on reducing electricity consumption in the government offices by 30%.

The committee will comprise the Federal Minister for Energy, Federal Minister for Planning, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources and relevant secretaries.

Power plan

The federal cabinet discussed the ‘Proposed Energy Saving Plan’ presented by the Power Division.

The meeting was briefed on the consultation conducted so far with stakeholders on the plan.

In this regard, the prime minister said that the consultation process with all stakeholders, including the provincial governments, adminsitrations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, should be completed as soon as possible to ensure the implementation of the plan.

The prime minister emphasized that the nation needed to adopt austerity measures with regard to energy and urgently required change in attitudes.

He said the implementation of the energy saving plan and the use of alternative energy was indispensable to reduce the import bill in terms of fuel.

Awareness drive

The meeting was told that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the National Energy Efficiency and Conversation Authority (National Energy Efficiency and Conversation) have prepared an awareness campaign about energy saving and austerity.

Tribute to martyrs

The cabinet offered fateha for those martyred as a result of the incidents of terrorism in different parts of the country.

The federal cabinet paid tribute to the security forces for their continuous fight against terrorism.

The federal cabinet condemned the arrest of senior parliamentarian Chaudhry Ashraf by the Punjab government in a 53-year-old case as a step of political vendetta.

The federal cabinet gave final approval to the report of the Cabinet Committee on Soybean.

G2G Commercial Transaction Act

The federal cabinet approved the Government-to-Government Commercial Transaction Act 2022 (G2G Commercial Transaction Act 2022).

On the recommendation of the Board of Investments, the Federal Cabinet approved in principle the One Stop Service Act to provide facilities to investors in Special Economic Zones established across the country.

Taj field

On the recommendation of the Petroleum Division, the Federal Cabinet declared Taj Field (Mirpur Khas Block) for commercial status, covering an area of 14.11 square kilometers on commercial basis and to M/s United Energy Pakistan Limited (UEPL) of this block for five years.

The federal cabinet approved the decisions taken in the meetings of the Economic Coordination Committee held in November and December.

The federal cabinet approved the decisions taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization held on December 26, 2022.