Electricity rationing: All govt offices asked to reduce consumption by 25%

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has instructed all government offices to reduce electricity consumption by 25% as part of the government's austerity measures to combat the ongoing energy crisis.

A decision has also been taken to use less than 20% of the energy sector budget allocation, Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said on Wednesday, adding that the finance division will issue necessary gazettes in this regard.

The new measures were announced by the principal secretary after chairing a meeting with the secretaries of different ministries and senior officials of other government agencies.

The new measures add to the growing list of austerity measures the government has taken to restrict energy consumption, which include coordinated area-based daily load shedding and shutting down filling stations once a week.

At the meeting, Ahmad Kaikaus requested the secretaries to take effective steps to reduce revenue expenditure, ensure the best use of development expenditure, save electricity and energy, increase internal resources and keep prices of daily necessities at an affordable level.

The meeting also decided that the education ministry and the primary and mass education ministry will take necessary initiatives to rationalise the use of private vehicles for the transportation of students in educational institutions to save fuel.

Speaking on the occasion, Kaikaus reiterated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's call to be thrifty to tackle the economic and power crises created due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and a rising dollar price.

He directed the ministries to reduce expenditure in all areas, including carrying out unnecessary expenditures.

The meeting also decided that the ministries will determine the necessary course of action to reduce the consumption of electricity and fuel. 

"If not unavoidable, meetings in physical presence should be avoided and most meetings should be organised online," the PMO said. 

Besides, government agencies have also been instructed to avoid non-essential foreign travel as much as possible.

Additionally, necessary steps should be taken from the beginning of the fiscal year to increase internal resource collection and the National Board of Revenue should take adequate measures to achieve the revenue target.

Each ministry will review its own procurement plan and undertake cost reduction initiatives.

Earlier on Tuesday, an Ecnec meeting instructed government officials not to wear suit coats in order to save electricity and energy.

According to finance ministry officials, as part of cost savings, all types of foreign travel and car purchases have already been halted except for extremely urgent cases. The honorarium of various committees of development projects has been suspended. 50% of the allocation for the purchase of stationery items, computers and accessories has been suspended. Financing of projects that are not in need of urgent implementation has also been put on hold. The measures are expected to save about Tk40,000 crores.

Similar cost-effective initiatives were taken during the covid outbreak in the country, which saved about Tk25,000 crore. 

KM Ali Azam, senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Fatima Yasmin, senior secretary of the Finance Division, Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, chairman of the National Board of Revenue, Kabir Bin Anwar, senior secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, senior secretary of the PMO and other secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.