‘How will govt pay us?’ petrol dealers ask

The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has refused to supply petrol under the government’s proposed relief scheme, raising concerns over how dealers would be reimbursed for the discounted fuel.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi on Wednesday, PPDA Vice Chairman Anwar Kamal said dealers had not been consulted while the relief scheme was being prepared and that the current mechanism would be difficult to implement.

He said the government should provide relief to consumers directly through a simple and transparent mechanism rather than placing the financial burden on petrol dealers.

Kamal said dealers were already facing financial pressure due to inflation, while billions of rupees owed by oil marketing companies remained outstanding. He maintained that it was not feasible for dealers to bear the cost of the government’s proposed relief.

The PPDA vice chairman also called for an increase in dealers’ margins, saying the existing margins did not adequately address the financial pressures faced by the sector.

He questioned how the government would pay dealers for the petrol sold at reduced prices under the relief programme.

According to Kamal, the association had been contacting the government for the past three days to seek clarification about the mechanism, but had yet to receive a response.

He made it clear that petroleum dealers would not supply petrol under the government’s current relief mechanism until their concerns were addressed.