Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Friday said the rates of petroleum products in Pakistan are still lower when compared to several regional countries.
Tarin said Pakistan ranks 17th in the region when it comes to petrol prices.
“There are only 16 other countries that have lower petrol prices than ours. They are oil producers and have their own oil,” said Tarin.
“Prices in the international market have increased recently forcing the government to hike local prices,” he said after petrol prices were increased by Rs4 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs2 per litre.
Shaukat Tarin said Prime Minister Imran Khan stopped the ministry from increasing the levy as he wanted to lessen the burden on the masses. “This is the reason we want to give direct subsidy to the lower-income group.”
“We are not even charging [petroleum] levy even though we have kept a target of Rs600 billion for it in the budget. But we and the prime minister didn’t care for it.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman has criticised the government for dropping a “petrol bomb” on the masses in times of extreme inflation.
