Petroleum dealers, lawyers slam fuel hike

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Saturday criticised the government over rising fuel prices and high petroleum levies, saying the measures had increased hardships for the public and affected fuel retailers. Under an official notification effective from May 9, the government has imposed a petroleum levy of Rs117.41 per litre on petrol and Rs42.60 per litre on high-speed diesel sold through retail outlets. The levy on premium fuel grades, including 97 RON and 95 RON petrol, or the high-octane blending component (HOBC), has been fixed at more than Rs305.37 per litre. The government is also charging a petroleum levy of Rs20.36 per litre on kerosene, Rs15.84 per litre on light diesel oil, and Rs77 per litre on furnace oil, equivalent to Rs82,077 per tonne. PPDA Vice Chairman Raja Waseem Shehzad criticised the government for increasing indirect taxes inst­ead of providing relief to the public amid rising inflation. He said the heavy levies had made petroleum products unaffordable for consumers and caused financial losses for fuel station owners due to declining sales. He urged the government to reduce petroleum prices by cutting levies and duties on petroleum products, warning that continued increases could further damage the fuel retail sector and add to public hardship. “At the same time, the government has not fixed petroleum dealers’ commission on a percentage basis instead of a fixed amount per litre sale, as a result, meeting the cost of doing business is going in the negative,” Mr Shehzad said. He added that sales had declined while operational costs had increased owing to higher electricity tariffs and other charges. In a statement, SCBA President Haroonur Rashid, Secretary Malik Zahid Aslam Awan and members of the association’s 28th executive committee expressed concern over the increase in petrol and diesel prices. They said the latest rise in fuel prices had further aggravated hardships