tea time then only tea and biscuits will be provided said the pmpm sharif said that the current expenditure of ministries departments and subdepartments would be reduced by 15 government houses spread on acres will be converted into townhousesno official or minister will be allowed to retain state gifts worth more than 300single treasury account to be established pm sharif said the measures would be implemented immediately adding that additional steps would be taken at the time of the budget for the new fiscal year he also urged chief ministers and highranking officials in the four provinces to introduce similar measurespakistans government had also issued guidelines to save energy costs including closing all malls and markets by 830pm pm sharif however said the energysaving plan had not been implemented yet he added that further delay will not be tolerated and warned that power supply would be cut to malls and big markets if measures are not taken seriouslypakistan is desperate to unlock the 11 billion tranche of a 65 billion package but has been struggling to meet the tough conditions set by the global financier specially since an election is due by the end of the year and the government is reluctant to be too harsh in case it is punished at the pollsthe imf and pakistan recently concluded the ninth review of the bailout package without a stafflevel agreement after 10 days of talks shutting down some foreign missionsearlier in the day pakistan had ordered its foreign ministry to slash the number of missions abroad reduce staff and initiate other measures to cut down expenditures by 15the move to slash expenses of foreign missions was recommended by the national austerity committee nac which was constituted by pm shehbaz sharif to suggest ways to cut spending for the country in the wake of the financial crisis and impending debt payment defaultdeal close at handat the outset of the press conference on wednesday the pm said that matters with the imf were at the last stage and almost all condition have been methe however warned that the country should brace itself for a further spike in inflation following the global financiers statement that pakistan must take steps to ensure that its high earners pay taxes and only the poor get the subsidies if it wants to function as a country pakistans national assembly passed a bill on february 20 to raise taxes on a raft of luxury imports and services0127pakistan hike in fuel prices to raise inflation people staring at bleak futurethe supplementary finance bill increases sales tax from 17 to 25 on imports ranging from cars and household appliances to chocolates and cosmetics people will also have to pay more for businessclass air travel wedding halls mobile phones and sunglasses a general sales tax was raised from 17 to 18the foreign minister said the higher taxes would generate an additional 650 million on the verge of bankruptcypakistan has a chronic balance of payments problem which was exacerbated in the