In response to a shortage of US dollars, the government has taken a significant decision to restrict furnace oil imports for electricity generation, which may result in power outages lasting 3-5 hours for citizens during the peak summer period.According to an official from the Energy Ministry, the country is currently grappling with an energy shortfall of approximately 4,000MW, leading to power outages lasting 2-3 hours for consumers. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, where a key decision was made to close commercial markets at 8 PM in the upcoming fiscal year to conserve electricity.At present, Pakistan has the capacity to generate up to 44,000MW of electricity, while the actual consumption stands at only 21,500MW. In the past, customers have paid nearly Rs. 900 billion in capacity charges. However, the upcoming fiscal year of 2023-24 will witness an increase in the tariff structure for capacity payments, with customers expected to be charged Rs. 1,400 billion.