Sindh Govt Implements 4-Day Work Week for KMC Offices

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to impose a four-day working week for all offices of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) as part of an austerity and fuel-saving drive, ARY News reported.

Under this new policy, all KMC offices will operate from Monday to Thursday and remain closed for the remaining three days of the week (Friday through Sunday).

This decision will not apply to emergency service departments, including Municipal Services, Health, the Fire Brigade, and City Wardens.

Similarly, mandatory service departments will also continue to function as usual to ensure public needs are met.

The provincial government has directed all department heads to ensure strict implementation of the notification.

Earlier, the Sindh government announced its own set of austerity measures to curtail the economic impact of the ongoing regional tensions, stating that schools will observe a spring vacation and government offices will work from home on Fridays.

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said schools across the province will have a “spring vacation from March 16 to 31, while colleges and universities will switch to online classes”.

However, he noted, no ongoing exams will be postponed.

The minister also clarified that, contrary to some media reports, government functioning will not stop on Fridays. Instead, government officials will work from home (WFH).

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — you have to work. On Friday, you have to work from home,” he said.

“The Sindh government has launched its austerity campaign,” he added.

He declared that the provincial government would reduce the fuel allotted for official vehicles by 50 per cent, which would save around Rs960 million.

The provincial ministers have also decided to forgo their salaries for three months from April to June, Memon added.

He further said that the government will send a reference to the Sindh Assembly speaker, but it was up to the speaker and the lawmakers to decide on any similar measure for MPAs.

Memon said that “unnecessary government expenditure”, such as buying furniture and stationery, will be reduced by 20pc, which he said would save around Rs12 billion.

The senior minister stated there would be a complete ban on the government buying “new vehicles and items”, except where necessary, such as ambulances or law and order vehicles.

“Unnecessary foreign visits” would also be barred, Memon said, highlighting that if an official trip was required, Economy Class will be used and “no one will be allowed to use Business Class”.

Detailing further steps, Memon said “many ministers, including the chief minister, said they wanted to withdraw or curtail their security” so that police vehicles could instead be utilised for the public and extra expenses could be avoided.

He added that the cabinet had “mandated the law minister” to immediately withdraw the security protocol allotted to “many such people who were utilising the Sindh government’s and Sindh Police’s security unnecessarily”.

Memon noted these specifically included former caretaker ministers and “committee members”, remarking that people had “unfortunately made it a status symbol”.

“Security is not being withdrawn from those who have genuine cases,” the senior minister affirmed.

He emphasised, “The cabinet has taken strict action, ordering that all kinds of unnecessary expenditures be halted immediately.”

Memon said no Iftar parties would be held on the government’s expenditure and any official event would not be organised at any five-star hotel but at a government building.

“Chief minister sahib and we have decided together that from now on, no minister will attend any Iftari […] Charity begins from home,” he said.

He further announced that refreshments on government expenses will be prohibited in all government offices for two more months after Ramazan.

Responding to a journalist’s question, Memon said the CM’s plane “will remain grounded during these days”, also clarifying that the aircraft had been purchased by the previous chief minister.

The minister stressed that the money saved by implementing the austerity measures will be utilised for the “public’s welfare”. He added that the government’s priority was not to let the “aftereffects” of the fuel price hikes impact the public.

The Sindh government’s move follows the Centre’s announcement of austerity measures to conserve fuel in view of the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.