Pakistan government allocates Rs125B to curb fuel price hike

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government allocated Rs125 billion through budget cuts and savings to absorb rising petroleum prices and shield the public from global economic pressures.

An online review meeting was held on Sunday under the prime minister's chairmanship to discuss the implementation of ongoing measures for fuel conservation and austerity in view of the regional situation, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing.

Prime Minister Sharif, while declaring public relief the top priority, said that over the past three weeks, the government has absorbed as much of the increase in petroleum product prices as possible to provide relief to the public.

Sufficient quantity of petroleum products available

The prime minister said that due to government decisions, sufficient quantities of petroleum products are available to meet domestic needs. 

Participants were informed that arrangements for petrol imports for April have been completed.

The PM emphasized that, in the current situation, public relief has been the top priority and that, over the past three weeks, the government has provided the maximum possible relief.

Unlike in other countries, Pakistan has neither long queues nor fuel supply mismanagement, reflecting the government’s effective management.

The PM urged the public to support the government’s conservation campaign, avoid unnecessary travel, and prioritize teleconferencing at offices and workplaces.

Austerity and conservation measures

The meeting was briefed on the progress of implementing austerity and conservation measures. It was informed that the demand and supply of petroleum products, along with the entire supply chain, are being regularly monitored, and a digital dashboard has been developed for this purpose.

He directed provincial governments to provide all necessary facilities for motorcycle and rickshaw owners to register their vehicles in their names to digitalize vehicle data, and enable owners to benefit from future government relief measures.

The meeting was briefed on a prepared app for the proposed fuel support program for motorcycle riders and rickshaw drivers.

The prime minister instructed the relevant authorities to expedite coordination with the chief secretaries of all four provinces, as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, on this matter.

The meeting, held via video link, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Attaullah Tarar, Dr Musadik Malik, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Owais Khan Leghari, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and other senior officials.