Pakistan's prime minister expands fuel subsidies — Dawn
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved updated rules for the fuel assistance program, expanding the range of recipients among owners of two- and three-wheeled vehicles. As Dawn reports, the decision also changes the procedure for using weekly fuel discounts.
Who will be able to receive assistance
Owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws will be able to register for the program if their vehicles were registered on or after January 1, 2006.
Owners of two- and three-wheeled vehicles can now receive a discount of 500 Pakistani rupees during one week without limits on the amount of fuel. Previously, one token entitled them to five liters of fuel, while it now provides for a fixed discount of 500 rupees.
Each token will be valid for seven days from the time it is issued. The maximum discount for one recipient will be 2,000 Pakistani rupees per month, which can be used through several tokens.
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Program implementation and savings
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that about 24 million people use the fuel assistance program. According to him, parliamentarians and political teams are helping citizens at consultation points set up in four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Chaudhry acknowledged that problems arose at the beginning of the program's implementation, including with the payment mechanism for petrol station owners. He said they had been resolved after meetings with the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association.
Separately, the minister reported a 50% reduction in fuel limits for government vehicles, except for transport used for operational work and defense services. The authorities also restricted purchases of new official vehicles and other goods, and reduced official lunches and receptions. If necessary, official foreign trips will be made in economy class.
In Sindh province, a new schedule for closing markets and restaurants may be announced next week in accordance with the federal notification. A provincial government official explained that the early closure of markets on weekends was not planned in order to support traders.
