The Credible Post Report
KARACHI, Aug 15:
The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) on Friday announced the postponement of its planned nationwide strike after receiving assurances from the Ministry of Petroleum that the association’s issues would be resolved.
Speaking at a press conference at the PPDA chairman’s office in Clifton, PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Baksh said that the decision was taken by the association’s executive committee following government assurances on several outstanding issues, including recovery on cards and quota allocation.
He said the Ministry of Petroleum had prepared a summary seeking approval from the prime minister, after which it would be placed before the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the federal cabinet. The process, he said, was expected to take around two weeks.
Malik Khuda Baksh said petroleum dealers were receiving a commission of Rs1.34 per litre, while a substantial amount was being deposited with the government and should be released to dealers soon. He added that the process for fixing petroleum prices was expected to be completed within a week.
He said the government had also assured the association that the issue of recovery on cards would be addressed ,lastly Malikkhuda Baksh thanks the Petroleum Ministry for increasing their service charges, He concluded
PPDA senior member Malik Sher Khan said dealers were facing losses because some oil marketing companies were not following international standards and OGRA is not taking any notice of such regulatory violations.He said the difficult business environment had raised serious concerns about the survival of petrol pump operators.
The PPDA urged the government to resolve the issues at the earliest, warning that a shutdown of petrol pumps would create difficulties not only for dealers but also for businesses and the general public.
PPDA Sindh Chairman Haji Ameer Khan could not attend the press conference due to other engagements.
