Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced a fuel relief package for motorcycle, rickshaw, and small-car owners to ease the impact of soaring petrol prices amid a sharp rise in global oil rates.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, motorcycle, rickshaw and other two- and three-wheeler users will receive a subsidy of Rs100 per litre on up to 20 litres of petrol each month. Owners of cars with engines up to 800cc will also be entitled to Rs100 per litre relief on a maximum of 30 litres per month.
The scheme will be launched in Islamabad from Monday-Tuesday midnight, while its rollout across the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, will begin from Wednesday-Thursday midnight. Registration opened on Sunday, with further details to be shared through a public awareness campaign.
The announcement follows the government’s latest increase in petroleum prices, with petrol becoming Rs3.05 per litre more expensive and high-speed diesel (HSD) rising by Rs5.37 per litre from Friday. It was the fourth successive increase in fuel prices.
PM Shehbaz said the government was aware of the difficulties caused by higher fuel costs and would take steps to support people during the challenging period. He also acknowledged the provinces’ cooperation in sharing data on motorcycles, rickshaws and small vehicles to support the registration process.
Global oil prices declined on Friday but remained on track for a weekly increase of more than 8%. US diesel prices also reached a record level as attacks on shipping routes in the Middle East raised fears of prolonged disruptions to energy supplies. Brent crude futures ended the session at $104.61 a barrel, down $3.02, or 2.81%.
Earlier this year, the federal government had introduced a relief initiative for April after the prime minister instructed provincial authorities to facilitate the registration of motorcycles and rickshaws in their owners’ names. The move was aimed at establishing a dedicated Fuel Support Programme to protect low-income commuters from fluctuations in international oil prices.
Shehbaz had said the initiative would help create a digital database of motorcycles and rickshaws nationwide and allow their owners to benefit from future government relief measures.
He had also directed authorities to coordinate with the chief secretaries of the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to implement the initiative.
