The federal government is preparing to launch cheap petrol scheme for bike owners, rickshaw drivers, and cars up to 800cc soon. As per media reports, the federal government has sought registered bike data in all provinces. The Excise and Taxation Department of Islamabad has asked the provinces to provide the data, which would be linked with NADRA. After cross-checking, the government will start providing cheap petrol to the masses.
The Balochistan Excise and Taxation Department initially provided the data of 500,000 registered bikes in the province to the federal government. Meanwhile, Islamabad has started evaluating the data to launch the scheme.
Cheap Petrol Scheme
Last month, the government announced an Rs. 50/liter subsidy for the lower-income section of society. Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik announced that the government of Pakistan would charge an additional Rs. 100/liter for petrol from the affluent.
Malik stated that the government would be making petrol more expensive for the rich and cheaper for the poor by using the higher prices paid by the rich to provide subsidized petrol to the low-income segment. The statement came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a relief package for low-income people.
Malik elaborated on the subsidy, stating that PM Shehbaz had ordered the ministry to increase the subsidy to Rs100 and that the rich will be charged Rs100 more while the poor would be charged Rs100 less. The economists have explained the process of a possible implementation of this program. You can read about it in detail in this blog.
It is pertinent to mention that International Monetary Fund (IMF) had expressed apprehensions over this plan and asked the government to share a detailed plan. The experts believe that the announcement of this scheme is one of the reasons causing the delay in the release of the next installment of loan to Pakistan.
What is your take on this cheap petrol scheme? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
