Dar chairs review of austerity measures, limits exemptions to essential Government work

ISLAMABAD:Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday directed that only essential and time-bound government activities be considered for exemptions from austerity measures, as the government stepped up oversight of its cost-cutting campaign.

Chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Fuel Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures, Dar reviewed the pace of implementation of fuel-saving and expenditure control steps across ministries and provincial administrations, according to an official statement issued by his office.

The committee was informed that compliance with the austerity framework remained satisfactory, with departments continuing to observe restrictions introduced to curb spending and conserve fuel resources.

During the session, the Federal Minister for Information Technology presented a digital dashboard designed to track the execution of austerity directives and strengthen monitoring of government entities.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers for Information Technology and Climate Change, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, secretaries of the Cabinet Division, National Security Division, Petroleum Division, and Planning Division, as well as chief secretaries of all provinces and senior officials from relevant ministries.

Dar expressed satisfaction over the level of adherence to the austerity measures and stressed that conservation and fiscal restraint must continue across all sectors until economic conditions improve.