Less than a week after increasing the petrol prices to a record high, the federal government has decided to provide subsidized fuel to motorcycles, rickshaws, and public transport vehicles’ owners.
It has also decided to offer targeted subsidies to the poor segment of the society under the Ehsaas program to help them to buy essential food items at a relatively lower price.
Both relief measures were finalized by Prime Minister Imran Khan during the meeting of the core committee of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) held in Islamabad on Wednesday.
In this regard, the premier has directed relevant ministries and departments to present the proposal to provide low-cost petrol to motorcycles, rickshaws, and public transport owners in the cabinet meeting next week.
The targeted subsidy under the Ehsaas program will be given from the financial resources of the federal government. The governments of Punjab and KP have expressed interest in receiving the targeted subsidy while talks are ongoing with Sindh and Balochistan governments to include them in the program as well.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Governor Sindh and member PTI’s core committee Imran Ismail said that relief in petrol prices will be extended to motorcyclists, rickshaw drivers, and public transport vehicles in less than a week.
He added that the scope of the Sehat Card, Kissan Card, and Ehsaas program will be expanded across the country to provide relief to inflation-hit citizens.
On 16 October, the federal government had announced a huge surge in the price of petroleum products, increasing the per liter price of petrol by Rs. 10.49 and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs. 12.44.
Following the unprecedented hike in petroleum prices and a subsequent severe backlash against it, the Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar had initially ruled out any immediate relief amid rising global petrol prices and claimed that it could take at least five months for the petrol prices to return to normal.