The Pakistani government calls on people to drink less tea, save on import expenses, and protect the country's foreign exchange reserves.
Ahsan Iqbal, a senior Pakistani official, said that drinking fewer cups of tea per person per day could reduce Pakistan's high import bills.
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves (foreign exchange reserves) are currently very low, only enough to spend about two months' worth of imported goods, so there is an urgent need to save import expenses.
Pakistan is the world's largest importer of tea. Last year, the value of imported tea exceeded US$600 million. Therefore, the government calls on people to drink less tea to save import expenses.
But the government's request for people to drink less tea has sparked heated discussions on social media, with many wondering if drinking less tea alone can solve the country's serious financial problems?
"I'm calling on everyone in the country to drink less than a cup or two of tea a day because we're borrowing to import tea," Iqbal said.
He also advised market vendors to close early at 8:30pm to save on electricity bills.
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves continue to decline rapidly, and the government is under pressure to save its high import bills and keep funds at home.
In February this year, Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves were about 16 billion US dollars. By June, there were less than 10 billion US dollars left, and it would not be enough in less than two months.
Last month, the government restricted imports of non-essential luxury goods in an attempt to keep money at home.
In April, Pakistan's National Assembly held a no-confidence vote to oust the former prime minister, Imran Khan, and replace Shehbaz Sharif as the new prime minister.
Shortly after taking the oath of office, Sharif accused the previous government of Imran Khan of screwing up Pakistan's economy, leaving the new government with a huge challenge to revive the country's economy.
Last week, the government cabinet unveiled a new budget proposal in an attempt to persuade the International Monetary Fund to restart a stalled rescue package of up to $6 billion.
The International Monetary Fund agreed to a bailout package for Pakistan in 2019 to alleviate problems such as insufficient foreign exchange reserves and stagnant economic growth, but it was later suspended as lenders questioned Pakistan's financial prospects.