Rs100 Petrol Relief: Who Qualifies and How to Apply?
News Desk
Islamabad: The federal government has announced a targeted petrol subsidy of Rs100 per litre for vulnerable segments of society to provide relief from rising fuel prices amid the ongoing regional crisis.
Federal Ministers Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Ali Pervaiz Malik and Attaullah Tarar announced the initiative at a press conference, saying the scheme would initially be launched at 150 petrol stations in Islamabad from midnight.
Under the programme, owners of vehicles with engine capacities below 800cc will receive a subsidy of Rs100 per litre on up to 30 litres of petrol. Motorcycle and rickshaw owners will be eligible for the same subsidy on up to 20 litres.
However, motorcycles older than 15 years and cars older than 20 years will be excluded from the scheme.
How to register
Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the subsidy programme would be implemented in two phases.
In the first phase, eligible citizens will register by sending their CNIC number, vehicle registration number, the first letter of their province and the vehicle’s registration date to 9771.
In the second phase, registered users will send “TOK” to 9771 when visiting a petrol station to generate a fuel token. The token must then be presented to the petrol pump attendant to receive the subsidy.
Under the announced mechanism, motorcycle and rickshaw owners will receive Rs500 in relief on 20 litres, while eligible car owners can receive up to Rs3,000 in relief on 30 litres.
The government has warned citizens against fraud, emphasizing that officials will never ask for token numbers through SMS, telephone calls or WhatsApp.
Govt cites international oil prices
Ali Pervaiz Malik said the targeted relief package was designed to protect the most vulnerable sections of society while keeping the country’s financial constraints and IMF commitments in consideration.
He noted that Pakistan imports around 90 percent of its energy requirements, leaving the country exposed to fluctuations in international oil prices.
The minister said the government had previously allocated Rs130 billion to protect consumers from the impact of rising fuel prices and had consulted all provinces before developing the latest targeted relief mechanism.
He said the government was purchasing fuel at substantially higher international prices but had decided to utilize petroleum levy resources to provide direct relief to vulnerable consumers.
Under the mechanism, eligible citizens registered through the ‘Ba-Izzat Ghar’ programme will be able to purchase fuel at subsidized rates by generating a token from home.
Ali Pervaiz Malik said any future reduction in international fuel prices would be transparently passed on to consumers.
Scheme to be expanded nationwide
The minister said the scheme would initially be implemented at 150 petrol stations in Islamabad, with a nationwide rollout planned through a transparent mechanism.
He said complaints or technical issues at petrol stations would be addressed promptly, while payments to participating fuel stations would be facilitated through the State Bank of Pakistan and the Finance Ministry.
Ali Pervaiz Malik also announced progress on efforts to increase domestic refining capacity, saying agreements had been approved to attract an estimated $5 billion to $6 billion in refinery investment. Work on the projects is expected to begin from October 1.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally monitoring the fuel situation and that the government was working toward a sustainable solution to protect vulnerable citizens from the impact of the regional crisis.
