Commonwealth Business Communications
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • COUNTRIES
    • AFRICA
      • BOTSWANA
      • CAMEROON
      • GAMBIA
      • GHANA
      • KENYA
      • KINGDOM OF eSWATINI
      • LESOTHO
      • MALAWI
      • MAURITIUS
      • MOZAMBIQUE
      • NAMIBIA
      • NIGERIA
      • RWANDA
      • SEYCHELLES
      • SIERRA LEONE
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • TANZANIA
      • UGANDA
      • ZAMBIA
    • ASIA
      • BANGLADESH
      • BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
      • INDIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • MALDIVES
      • PAKISTAN
      • SINGAPORE
      • SRI LANKA
    • CARIBBEAN AND AMERICAS
      • ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
      • BAHAMAS
      • BARBADOS
      • BELIZE
      • CANADA
      • DOMINICA
      • GRENADA
      • GUYANA
      • JAMAICA
      • SAINT LUCIA
      • ST KITTS AND NEVIS
      • ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
      • TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
    • EUROPE
      • CYPRUS
      • MALTA
      • UNITED KINGDOM
    • PACIFIC
      • AUSTRALIA
      • FIJI
      • KIRIBATI
      • NAURU
      • NEW ZEALAND
      • PAPUA NEW GUINEA
      • SAMOA
      • SOLOMON ISLANDS
      • TONGA
      • TUVALU
      • VANUATU
  • AREAS OF WORK
    • GOVERNMENT
    • EDUCATION
    • HEALTH
    • ICT
    • INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
    • NATURAL RESOURCES
    • SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
    • TRADE AND INVESTMENT
  • OUR PUBLICATIONS
    • CHOGM
      • COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT INTERIM REPORT 2020
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2018 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2015 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2011 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2009 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2007 REPORT
    • HEALTH
      • COMMONWEALTH HEALTH REPORT 2022
      • COMMONWEALTH HEALTH REPORT 2020
    • EDUCATION
      • COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION REPORT 2021
      • COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION REPORT 2019
    • MINISTERS
      • MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK COMMONWEALTH 2017
      • MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK COMMONWEALTH 2015
      • MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK COMMONWEALTH 2014
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2011
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2010
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2009
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2008
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2007
    • FINANCE
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REPORT 2012
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2010
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2009
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2008
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2007
    • TRADE AND INVESTMENT
      • AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT REPORT 2013
    • QUEEN AND COMMONWEALTH
      • QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: CELEBRATING HER MAJESTY’S PLATINUM JUBILEE
      • QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: 90 GLORIOUS YEARS
      • QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: CELEBRATING HER MAJESTY’S DIAMOND JUBILEE
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • CONTACT US
Commonwealth Business Communications
Commonwealth Business Communications
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • COUNTRIES
    • AFRICA
      • BOTSWANA
      • CAMEROON
      • GAMBIA
      • GHANA
      • KENYA
      • KINGDOM OF eSWATINI
      • LESOTHO
      • MALAWI
      • MAURITIUS
      • MOZAMBIQUE
      • NAMIBIA
      • NIGERIA
      • RWANDA
      • SEYCHELLES
      • SIERRA LEONE
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • TANZANIA
      • UGANDA
      • ZAMBIA
    • ASIA
      • BANGLADESH
      • BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
      • INDIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • MALDIVES
      • PAKISTAN
      • SINGAPORE
      • SRI LANKA
    • CARIBBEAN AND AMERICAS
      • ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
      • BAHAMAS
      • BARBADOS
      • BELIZE
      • CANADA
      • DOMINICA
      • GRENADA
      • GUYANA
      • JAMAICA
      • SAINT LUCIA
      • ST KITTS AND NEVIS
      • ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
      • TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
    • EUROPE
      • CYPRUS
      • MALTA
      • UNITED KINGDOM
    • PACIFIC
      • AUSTRALIA
      • FIJI
      • KIRIBATI
      • NAURU
      • NEW ZEALAND
      • PAPUA NEW GUINEA
      • SAMOA
      • SOLOMON ISLANDS
      • TONGA
      • TUVALU
      • VANUATU
  • AREAS OF WORK
    • GOVERNMENT
    • EDUCATION
    • HEALTH
    • ICT
    • INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
    • NATURAL RESOURCES
    • SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
    • TRADE AND INVESTMENT
  • OUR PUBLICATIONS
    • CHOGM
      • COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT INTERIM REPORT 2020
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2018 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2015 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2011 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2009 REPORT
      • THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING 2007 REPORT
    • HEALTH
      • COMMONWEALTH HEALTH REPORT 2022
      • COMMONWEALTH HEALTH REPORT 2020
    • EDUCATION
      • COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION REPORT 2021
      • COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION REPORT 2019
    • MINISTERS
      • MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK COMMONWEALTH 2017
      • MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK COMMONWEALTH 2015
      • MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK COMMONWEALTH 2014
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2011
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2010
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2009
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2008
      • COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS REFERENCE BOOK 2007
    • FINANCE
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REPORT 2012
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2010
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2009
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2008
      • COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS REFERENCE REPORT 2007
    • TRADE AND INVESTMENT
      • AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT REPORT 2013
    • QUEEN AND COMMONWEALTH
      • QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: CELEBRATING HER MAJESTY’S PLATINUM JUBILEE
      • QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: 90 GLORIOUS YEARS
      • QUEEN & COMMONWEALTH: CELEBRATING HER MAJESTY’S DIAMOND JUBILEE
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • CONTACT US
Pakistan tea

Outrage as minister urges Pakistan to drink less tea

  • CBC News Team
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

A senior minister in Pakistan has urged people to reduce tea consumption to buoy the economy amidst severe crisis.

The country’s Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, told reporters on 14 June that Pakistanis should reduce their tea consumption as imports are putting additional financial pressure on the Government.

“I appeal to the nation to cut down the consumption of tea by one to two cups because we import tea on loan,” Iqbal said, according to Pakistani media.

Pakistan is the world’s largest importer of tea, buying in more than $600 million (£495 million) worth last year.

Iqbal further suggested that traders could close their tea stalls earlier in the evening to save on electricity.

The unusual request has gone viral on social media and outraged many Pakistanis. The public has heavily criticised the ministers’ views in such distressed times, arguing that the country’s serious financial problems can hardly be solved just by cutting down on tea.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal is seen appealing to Pakistanis to consume less tea because even the tea they drink is imported after taking loans.

When Pakistanis trolled Indians in Abhinandan’s case saying Tea Is Fantastic, they were not wrong.

It really is ☕️ pic.twitter.com/xXlvpumr5L

— Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) (@majorgauravarya) June 14, 2022
© Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) via Twitter

Pakistan has been facing severe economic challenges for months, leading to an increase in the prices of food, gas, and oil. Just recently, the Federal Government has banned the import of around 41 luxury items for two months to prevent financial default.

The new follows a report from the World Bank finding Pakistan’s economy successfully recovered in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pakistani foreign exchange reserves are also crippling downward; Reuters reported that funds held by the Central Bank fell from $16.3 billion (£13.5 billion) at the end of February to just above $10 billion (£8.2 billion) in May.

The economic crisis is putting newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to test and his re-election seems very unlikely as former Prime Minister Imran Khan has joined skeptics challenging Sharif’s mandate. 

In 2019, Commonwealth representatives visited Pakistan to help strengthen the security of online election tools and databases following election-related violence the year prior.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
CBC News Team

Previous Article
Commonwealth WTO

Commonwealth scales up efforts to boost trade capacity

  • CBC News Team
Read More
Next Article
Australia emission target

Australia sets out ambitious emissions target

  • CBC News Team
Read More
You May Also Like
Commonwealth Day 2023
Read More
  • Queen & Commonwealth
  • Trade & Investment
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Education & Youth
  • Equality

Commonwealth Day 2023

  • CBC News Team
  • 17 March 2023
Commonwealth pledges support to Sri Lanka amid global challenges
Read More
  • Education & Youth
  • Natural Resources
  • Trade & Investment
  • Environment & Sustainability

Commonwealth pledges support to Sri Lanka amid global challenges

  • CBC News Team
  • 6 February 2023
Nigeria banknotes. Nigeriannaira bills. 1000 NGN polymer. Business, finance background.
Read More
  • Trade & Investment
  • Finance
  • AFRICA
  • NIGERIA

Nigeria postpones deadline to exchange old notes amid political pressure

  • CBC News Team
  • 31 January 2023
Pakistan pens education deal with Hong Kong
Read More
  • Education & Youth
  • ASIA
  • PAKISTAN

Pakistan pens education deal with Hong Kong

  • CBC News Team
  • 13 January 2023
Extra funding announced for Pakistan flood-hit areas
Read More
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Natural Resources
  • Trade & Investment
  • UNITED KINGDOM
  • PAKISTAN

Extra funding announced for Pakistan flood-hit areas

  • CBC News Team
  • 11 January 2023
Uganda to host CSPOC in 2024
Read More
  • Heads of Government
  • Trade & Investment
  • UGANDA

Uganda to host CSPOC in 2024

  • CBC News Team
  • 7 January 2023
Commonwealth speakers gather in Australia for CSPOC
Read More
  • Heads of Government
  • Trade & Investment
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • AUSTRALIA

Commonwealth speakers gather in Australia for CSPOC

  • CBC News Team
  • 5 January 2023
Ministers convene for the CLMM 2022
Read More
  • Heads of Government
  • Other
  • Technology
  • Trade & Investment
  • MAURITIUS

Commonwealth ministers convene for the CLMM 2022

  • CBC News Team
  • 23 November 2022
OUR LATEST PUBLICATION

Subscribe to our Newsletter

PARTNER FOCUS
Recent Posts
  • Celebrating Namibia Independence Day
    Celebrating Namibia Independence Day
  • Commonwealth Day 2023
    Commonwealth Day 2023
  • Celebrating Mauritius Independence Day
    Celebrating Mauritius Independence Day
  • Flag of Ghana
    Celebrating Ghana Independence Day

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Commonwealth Business Communications
  • HOME
  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
© 2022 Commonwealth Business Communications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.