Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh welcomes 14-point energy conservation plan

Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh Tuesday welcomed the government’s recently announced 14-point energy conservation program in view of the prevailing war-related situation, saying that broader consultation with the business community could further improve its effectiveness and deliver better results

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Mar, 2026) Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh Tuesday welcomed the government’s recently announced 14-point energy conservation program in view of the prevailing war-related situation, saying that broader consultation with the business community could further improve its effectiveness and deliver better results.

Commenting on the address of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the nation, the FCCI Chief said that Faisalabad chamber had consistently maintained that the business community should be taken into confidence before making major economic decisions so that the policies could be implemented more effectively for producing much better outcomes.

He said that the measures such as temporary closure of educational institutions and promotion of work-from-home arrangements could help reduce fuel consumption, thereby contributing to the overall goal of energy conservation.

He also appreciated the Prime Minister’s decision to forego two months’ salary and adopt austerity measures, expressing hope that such initiatives would help curb inflation and promote a culture of simplicity in governance.

He, however, cautioned that inflation triggered by war-related global developments might persist for a prolonged period, posing serious challenges particularly for low-income and daily wage earners. Mitigating hardships of these vulnerable segments would require coordinated and focused efforts by all Federal and provincial governments, he added.

Recalling the economic challenges during COVID-19 crisis, he said that the business community and industrialists had taken steps to support workers by addressing their basic needs. However, he stressed that the government should announce a special relief package for laborers to help them cope with the prolonged economic impact of war.

Such assistance should be designed in a way that industrial productivity remained unaffected while ensuring that workers and their families were able to meet their basic living expenses, he added.

Farooq Yousaf Sheikh further emphasized that austerity measures announced by the government must be visibly implemented so that poorer segments of the society could feel assured that the ruling and affluent classes were also sharing the burden during the ongoing economic challenges.