Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the Senate on Friday that petroleum prices in Pakistan are the lowest as compared to other oil importing countries.
Winding up debate on a motion, he said there were clear directions from the prime minister to provide maximum relief to the petroleum consumers.
About the government’s decision to collect Rs 101 billion from consumers for the construction of gas pipeline networks, the minister clarified that this burden would only by borne by those consumers who had used imported gas of TAPI and Iran Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project.
Abbasi said the OGRA recently recommended 34 per cent increase in the gas prices but the government did not raise it even by one per cent. Participating in the debate, Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan said the government should give priority to direct taxes to enhance the ratio of tax net. Siraj-ul-Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami said the decision on matters of national interest should be taken with consensus. Nehal Hashmi said the previous regimes committed did massive corruption in the petroleum sector. The present government had introduced the culture of transparency in its affairs, he said. Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi said the world institutions were appreciating the economic gains made by the country over the past three years.