Nepal announced on Sunday that it will reduce the working week from six days to five for civil service and educational institutions, as part of efforts to address the current energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, according to Arab News.
Saturday had previously been the only weekly day off for civil servants and public-sector workers in the Himalayan nation.
However, government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel told reporters that the new two-day weekend would take effect this week.
“Given the present uncomfortable situation caused by fuel supply, the government and educational institutions remain closed for two days,” Pokharel said.
According to the new measures, government offices will operate from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East. These strikes have killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top security and defense officials in the country.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
Strait of Hormuz
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
As a critical waterway, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and roughly one‑fifth of all liquefied natural gas flows.
Due to the escalating tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the waterway was unsafe. Therefore, the authorities halted ship movements, causing a worldwide energy crisis.
Nepal also considered a series of legal measures to convert petrol and diesel vehicles to electric power, though he provided no further details.
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