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Pakistan urges citizens to drink fewer cups of tea

TBP Desk
15 Jun 2022 15:43:17 | Update: 15 Jun 2022 16:21:41
Pakistan urges citizens to drink fewer cups of tea
In this picture taken on March 29, 2019, Pakistani people gather to drink tandoori tea in clay pots at a market in Islamabad — AFP Photo

Pakistan have urged its citizens to reduce the amount of tea they drink to keep the country's economy afloat.

According to estimates, a person in Pakistan consumes an average of 1kg of tea each year.

Sipping fewer cups a day would cut Pakistan's high import bills, Senior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said.

The country's low foreign currency reserves - currently enough for fewer than two months of all imports - have left it in urgent need of funds, reports BBC.

ALSO READ: Pakistan budget needs additional measures to meet goals: IMF

Pakistan is the world's largest importer of tea, buying more than $600m (£501m) worth last year.

"I appeal to the nation to cut down the consumption of tea by one to two cups because we import tea on loan," Iqbal said, according to Pakistani media.

Business traders could also close their market stalls at 20:30PM to save electricity, he suggested.

The plea came as Pakistan's foreign currency reserves continue to fall rapidly - putting pressure on the government to cut high import costs and keep funds in the country.

The request to reduce tea drinking has gone viral on social media, with many doubting the country's serious financial problems can be addressed by cutting out the caffeinated beverage.

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves dropped from around $16bn (£13.4bn) in February to less than $10bn (£8.3bn) in the first week of June, barely enough to cover the cost of two months of all its imports.

ALSO READ: Pakistan allocates 40% of budget to tackle debt

Last month officials in Karachi restricted the import of dozens of non-essential luxury items as part of their bid to protect funds.

The economic crisis is a major test for the government of Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Imran Khan as Pakistan's prime minister in a parliamentary vote in April.

Shortly after being sworn in, Sharif accused Imran Khan's outgoing government of mismanaging the economy and said putting it back on track would be a huge challenge.

Last week his cabinet unveiled a fresh $47bn (£39bn) budget aimed at convincing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restart a stalled $6bn (£5bn) bailout programme.

The IMF deal was negotiated in 2019 to ease an economic crisis created by low foreign currency reserve supplies and years of stagnating growth - but was later paused after lenders questioned Pakistan's finances.

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