Why did the government in Pakistan have to appeal to the people to drink less tea? It's not about health, it's about wealth

Karachi, Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Pakistan's economic situation is so bad that people have to appeal for less tea. The appeal was made by Ahsan Iqbal, a senior minister in the Pak government. Drinking less than one or two cups of tea will help the country's economy. He also argued that the less tea you drink, the lower the import bill will be.

In the Pakistani media, Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that drinking less tea has become a topic of discussion. The economic woes of India's neighbor Pakistan are getting worse. Pakistan has enough foreign exchange to import goods for only two months. Pakistan is the largest importer of tea in the world.

Last year, Pakistan bought tea from India worth કરોડ 600 million, or 32 billion Indian rupees. In Pakistan, Shahnawaz Sharif has handed over power to Tehreek-e-Insaf party chief and Prime Minister Imran Khan, but no progress has been made on rising inflation and declining incomes. Leaders are playing the game of chair change while the people are seen upset.

In such a scenario the only solution is to reduce the import of essentials like tea. Foreign exchange reserves, which stood at 16 billion in February, fell to just 10 billion in the first week of June. Import costs are much higher than exports to Pakistan. Therefore, it has become necessary to save the dollar and use it sparingly.

Karachi is an important port of Pakistan. Luxury and non-essential items have been banned from the port. People in Pakistan are very fond of tea. Tea is considered an integral part of the lifestyle but now the days of reducing tea stalks are over.