Though Petroleum dealers have deferred their strike call for two days but warned of nationwide closure if future talks fail.
As per media reports, this was a bone of contention between petroleum dealers and the government. The petrol pump owners say that the availability of cheap smuggled Iranian oil coupled with declining consumption of oil after rising inflation and rising costs dented their business so much that it will not be possible for them to continue selling petrol unless the government increases their profit margins.
Dealers want their profit to be increased by 5 to 6 percent. Now the government has two options. If the government does not increase their share from its own pocket, then the public will also have to bear the burden.
The prices of petroleum products in Pakistan have seen skyrocketing in the last year after which the government has gradually reduced the prices to some extent in the last few months.
However, even now the prices of petroleum products are at the highest level in the history of the country. These prices are also being considered as one of the reasons for the rising inflation in the country.
And to meet this demand, Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, an organization of petroleum pump owners in Pakistan demand that the government should increase their commission or margin, but on the other hand, experts are warning that the demand of petroleum dealers may be heavy on the public’s pocket.
