Pakistanis advised to drink less tea

People in Pakistan have been urged to restrict the quantity of tea they consume to keep the country’s economy afloat.

Sipping fewer cups a day will decrease Pakistan’s expensive import expenses, senior minister Ahsan Iqbal said.

The country’s short foreign currency reserves – now adequate for less than two months of total imports – have put it in desperate need of funding.

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

“I urge the people to cut down the consumption of tea by one to two cups since we import tea on loan,” Mr Iqbal added, according to the Pakistani media.

Business vendors may also shut their market booths at 20:30 to conserve power, he advised.

The request comes as Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves continue to decline fast – putting pressure on the government to lower exorbitant import expenses and maintain monies in the nation.

The proposal to minimise tea consumption has gone viral on social media, with many questioning whether the country’s significant financial difficulties can be handled by cutting out the caffeinated beverage.

Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves decreased from roughly $16bn (£13.4bn) in February to less than $10bn (£8.3bn) in the first week of June, hardly enough to pay the cost of two months of all its imports.

Last month authorities in Karachi barred the import of dozens of non-essential luxury products as part of their attempt to conserve finances.

The economic crisis is a big challenge for the administration of Shehbaz Sharif, who succeeded Imran Khan as Pakistan’s prime minister in a parliamentary vote in April.

Shortly after being sworn in, Mr Sharif accused Imran Khan’s departing administration of mismanaging the economy and warned getting it back on track would be a tremendous job.

Last week his cabinet published a revised $47bn (£39bn) budget aimed at encouraging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revive a delayed $6bn (£5bn) rescue package.

The IMF arrangement was agreed upon in 2019 to address an economic crisis exacerbated by limited foreign currency reserve supplies and years of sluggish development – but was subsequently stopped as lenders questioned Pakistan’s finances.