ISLAMABAD - Business community on Monday asked the Government to launch a serious campaign for adopting energy conservation measures, which will help to some extent in countering highly negative effects of this problem on industry and economy. Zahid Maqbool, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), chaired a meeting of businessmen, who had assembled at ICCI to discuss some viable proposals for coping with mounting energy problem. He said that the foremost immediate short-term action, which can give some relief, is the conservation of energy. He said government should announce certain measures like shutting down power on billboards, hoarding and neon signs and banning extravagant lighting on marriage functions as an energy deficient country like Pakistan cannot afford wasteful use of energy. He said that many super sized billboards and televisions have been installed on important traffic points in some big cities of the country and in order to keep their temperature down, air conditioners are installed behind these screens. He said shutting down such big advertising structures, till the time the country becomes self-sufficient in energy, will save sufficient amount of electricity. Businessmen said many thermal plants are either lying idle or are averaging about 50 percent plant factor, which means that they are not being used to their full potential. They stressed upon IPPs and WAPDA to take steps for activating all idle power plants along with their better maintenance to achieve 70-80 percent plant factor. Zahid Maqbool said that shopping centres may be closed at 9:00 p.m. in the country instead of 7:00 p.m. as in summer season, shopping activities normally picks up in the evening or after sun set and stressed upon the government to ensure that there will be no loadshedding in shopping centres from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. He said in the current circumstances, discouraging centralised air-condition systems and observing 2 weekly holidays are also good options to conserve energy.