Ethiopia's Ethio Engineering orders fuel-saving measures amid supply fears
NAIROBI, March 29 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's Ethio Engineering Group has asked its more than 3,000 employees to switch to virtual meetings to reduce fuel usage following government guidance to avert a full-blown energy crisis.
Like other countries in the region, landlocked Ethiopia faces fuel supply disruptions after the eruption of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. The government in Addis Ababa has responded by boosting fuel subsidies and laying out a set of energy-saving measures.
"Our government has set a direction stating that institutions and citizens must use fuel economically, and everyone is carrying out activities based on their specific realities," the group said in a statement on Sunday.
"These actions are expected under these mandatory circumstances."
Apart from virtual meetings, employees of the group will be required to pool transport when travelling for vital projects, the group said, and restrict movement of vehicles to regular working days only.
The group, which produces a range of products from plastic packaging to farm machinery, will also cut monthly fuel allocations to its senior executives.
