ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet is expected to take a decision on a proposal for two weekly holidays for public sector institutions at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

The governments of Punjab and NWFP have accepted the five-day week proposal.

The special meeting of the cabinet is expected to be attended also by chief ministers or senior ministers of the provinces.

The agenda of the meeting includes austerity measures, sugar policy, gas load management plan and the review of the paddy procurement plan for the 2009 Kharif season.

According to the agenda paper, austerity measures would be introduced to reduce government expenditures through administrative and management adjustments in the system.

A committee on austerity measures headed by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has proposed weekly off days on Saturdays and Sundays and said that this would help save government resources.

Sources said that Punjab and the NWFP had earlier opposed the proposal because they believed that it would affect productivity of official departments.

‘But the recent power crisis and terror attacks have compelled Punjab and the NWFP to accept the proposal,’ said a senior official. If the cabinet approved the proposals, the five-day week system would be implemented from December 1, he added.

‘Working hours in government offices will be 8am to 4pm, with a prayer break of one and a half hours on Friday,’ the official said.