As the world continues to grapple with the economic aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments are implementing measures to curb spending and save money. In Pakistan, the monitoring committee, led by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, recently expressed “serious concerns” over the use of luxury vehicles by government officials.
During the committee’s second meeting to oversee the implementation of austerity measures, it was revealed that many government officials were still using SUV and Sedan cars of over 1800cc. The committee directed relevant authorities to immediately stop the use of these vehicles by government officials and expressed concern about the non-return of the remaining luxury vehicles.
The committee also discussed the withdrawal of the use of security vehicles and decided to implement the decision in its letter and spirit. Furthermore, the Ministry of Law and Justice was tasked with approaching the superior judiciary to suggest the implementation of austerity measures in the judiciary.
In an effort to save time and expenditure, the committee also directed the Chairman Senate and Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan to use teleconferences for all meetings. The Ministry of IPC has already approached the provincial governments suggesting the implementation of similar austerity measures in their respective provinces.
As part of the austerity measures, the new timing for office work will be from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm and up to 12:30 pm on Friday, starting from the first day of Ramadan. This decision will be followed in the summer season as per the decision of the cabinet, and a notification will be issued accordingly.
In conclusion, as Pakistan faces economic challenges, the implementation of austerity measures is necessary to curb spending and save money. It is encouraging to see the monitoring committee taking steps to ensure that government officials are not using luxury vehicles and that the withdrawal of the use of security vehicles will be implemented. The use of teleconferences for meetings will also save time and money, and the implementation of similar austerity measures in provincial governments is a positive step forward.
What are your thoughts on this?
