ISLAMABAD: The domestic petroleum product prices in the country remained fluctuated upward and downward due to international oil pricing trend during the tenure of the present government and the government failed to provide the relief of reduction of the prices to the consumers and always tried to keep maximum benefit to itself of the changes of these prices.
According to data available from the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) on May 1st, 2013 the petrol was being sold at R. 97.59 per litter when the present government took over the charge in this month which has now reduced to Rs. 81.53 per litter according to the petroleum products prices revised by the present government announced on 1st January 2018 after fluctuating upward and downward for many months.
The price of diesel was Rs. 106.06 per litter on 1st, May 2013 while its price was Rs. 89.91 per litter as announced by the government on 1st January 2018. The price of Kerosene oil was Rs. 94.17 per litter on 1st of May 2013 and it was Rs. 64.32 per litter according to the prices revised on 1st January 2018 by the government.
Following are the details of the prices revised by the present government every month for different petroleum products.
The prices of petroleum products were highest in October 2013 when the price of petrol was reached to Rs. 113.24 per litter and the price of kerosene oil was Rs 108.13 per litter and the price of diesel was Rs 116.95 per litter in that month.
The prices remained minimum during the month of March 2016 when the price of petrol was Rs. 2016 was 62.77 per litter while the price of kerosene oil was Rs. 43.25 per litter while the price of diesel was Rs. 71.12 per litter which were at the lowest level during the present government.
It may be mentioned that the prices at the international level keep on reducing in the last couple of years due to disturbance in the oil-producing countries and converting from oil to the other alternative sources of energy but the present government in Pakistan increased rates of sales tax and excise duty on various occasions which caused high prices of these products in the country.
So instead of getting any relief to the consumers in Pakistan for the reduction of pricesin the petroleum products at the international market, the present government always tried to earn more for itself instead and never passed on the benefit to the consumers, said the economic experts. According to official sources, the FBR has increased the sales and excise duties from 20 percent to more than 25 percent which has caused the hike in the prices of petroleum products.
