Financial Deficits In Pakistan: Implementation Of Five-day Week

Pakistan’s economy has been facing serious problems especially since the last few years. The financial deficits have taken their toll and might lead to an announcement of a five-day week apart from closure of fuel pumps on Fridays to reduce oil-consumption. According to a senior Pakistani government official, these steps are expected to be announced in a few days.

The concept of a five-day week is not alien in Pakistan as many Multinational firms or agencies who work closely with them take two days off. Still, the government departments and a major segment of private business work six days a week.

Pakistan’s Presidential election resulted in a delay of the federal cabinet’s decision to take measures to reduce consumption in power and transport segments. Now Saturday is also being planned to be an off day apart from Sunday. Finance Minister Syed Naveed QamarSyed Naveed Qamar had directed the petroleum industry to propose ways to curtailing fuel consumption. If it works out, a 20 percent decrease in the fuel consumption could be achieved due to these measures.

Interestingly, five-day week was implemented in the last PPP government also, but the practice was stopped as government officials started taking the liberty of enjoying longer weekends by taking three off days. This also led to more fuel consumption in fact, since the officials started going out of the cities or towns they lived in to enjoy their weekends. The plan to close down fuel pumps on Fridays in addition to implementation of a five-day week would hopefully balance out everything.