ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has expressed reservations over the government’s fuel relief scheme, saying its implementation under the existing mechanism would be difficult for dealers across the country.
A PPDA spokesperson said concerns among petroleum dealers were growing over the proposed procedure, particularly because of the risk of fraud through fake identification. The association said dealers could suffer financial losses if fraudulent claims were made and responsibility for such transactions was placed on filling stations.
The association also questioned the practicality of checking invoices and other required details at busy petrol pumps.
According to the PPDA, between 35 and 50 motorcycles can be waiting in a single queue at a petrol station. Checking the invoice of every motorcycle could slow operations considerably, resulting in long queues and inconvenience for consumers.
The association said dealers could also suffer business losses if customers left petrol stations because of lengthy verification procedures.
The PPDA demanded immediate changes to the fuel relief scheme and urged the petroleum minister to meet dealers and finalise the mechanism after consultation with them.
The association said the government could provide as much relief to consumers as it considered appropriate, but petroleum dealers should not be placed directly between the government and beneficiaries.
It proposed that the relief should be managed through the government and oil marketing companies, while dealers should not be held responsible for financial liabilities arising from the scheme.
The PPDA also warned that insufficient information about the programme could result in public complaints and operational problems at filling stations.
An emergency meeting of petroleum dealers has been called to discuss the fuel relief scheme, review the proposed mechanism and consider the association’s future course of action.
The PPDA said it would announce its position on the scheme within the next 24 to 48 hours and planned to hold a press conference after completing consultations.
The association stressed that dealers should be taken into confidence before implementation of the scheme.
Meanwhile, All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association Vice Chairman Inam-ul-Haq Chaudhry also raised concerns over the proposed subsidy mechanism, saying petrol pump owners had neither been taken into confidence nor properly informed about how the programme would operate.
He called on the government to clarify how subsidy payments would be reimbursed to petrol pumps.
Chaudhry said filling station operators were already facing working-capital pressures amid fluctuations in petroleum prices and were not in a position to bear an additional financial burden.
He warned that if dealers’ capital became tied up in subsidised fuel transactions, timely replenishment of fuel stocks could also be affected.
Petrol pump owners have therefore urged the government to clearly define the subsidy, verification and reimbursement mechanism before implementing the fuel relief scheme.
