Govt Planning to Introduce “Special Fuel” for Bikes
Where the rupee devaluation against the mighty dollar and emphatic jump in petrol prices has shattered the inflation-stricken middle-class salaried-man, the incumbent government is planning to come up with a smiling surprise – pass on some relief to him.
For motorcycle users, the burgeoning fuel prices have been a Tumultuous problem for long and policymakers have been foreseeing it for years. In a recent meeting last week, the Planning commission discussed introducing a particular fuel for bike users.
In developed countries, cars fall among the major petrol-consuming-category, and again the petrol market is inclined toward cars. But bikes consume 40-50% of petrol in a developing country like Pakistan. Simply put, the government should focus on the bikers.
As per experts, High Octane (more than RON 90) is not a necessary thing for motorcycles. And producing high-grade petrol is a costly process in Pakistan in the face of not-upgraded refineries. Moreover, the import of manganese-based additives adds more to the cost. Therefore, low-profile oil produced at our indigenous oil refineries with low tax rates can be a fair deal for the middle-class.
Russia Offers Petrol & Diesel at Low Rates
State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik announced that Russia has decided to provide petrol and diesel to Pakistan at discounted rates. However, he didn’t give any indication of the price. The announcement came a month after Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that the country is considering buying discounted Russian oil.
Talking to media, the minister said that Moscow had confirmed the availability of 100,000 barrels per day crude oil supply to Islamabad. “A delegation would visit Islamabad in January to set terms of the deal, including rates and mode of payment,” the sources have claimed.
Current Petrol Prices in Pakistan
Last week, the government announced to retain the petrol prices in Pakistan for the third consecutive fortnight. The current fuel prices in Pakistan are:
Petrol = Rs. 224.80/liter
high-speed diesel (HSD) = Rs. 235.30/liter.
Light Diesel Oil (LDO) = Rs. 186.50/liter
Kerosene Oil = Rs. 191.83/liter
What do you think about special oil planning for low-income class? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.