CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro declared a public sector holiday for Monday, and vowed to change the nation’s time zone in the latest dramatic measures to cope with a crippling electricity shortage blamed on low water levels at hydroelectric dams.

Maduro last week gave the public sector every Friday off until June 6, shutting down the workforce in an emergency power-saving measure to battle a looming crisis at the nation’s 18 hydroelectric dams, which he said had been hard hit by drought.

“I am declaring Monday, April 18 a non-working day and there will be no educational activity either,” Maduro told thousands of supporters Thursday at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.

The Venezuelan president said his decision would create an “electricity-saving long weekend”.

With Monday April 18 off, and Tuesday April 19 already an annual holiday marking Venezuela’s independence, public sector employees will effectively get a five-day weekend.

Maduro said he would change Venezuela’s time zone, which is now GMT minus four-and-a-half hours, as of May 1, so as to save more electricity. The leader said he would provide details within days.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but the Government has resisted using crude to generate electricity, calling it inefficient.

Maduro, who had already cut the workday to six hours for ministries and state companies, has also ordered them to cut their electricity consumption by 20 per cent.

The president has dispatched the army to monitor compliance.

Major electricity consumers, such as hotels, face nine hours of rationing a day, during which they must generate their own power.

Shopping centres have cut back their hours since that plan was introduced.