The recent increase in prices of petrol is already a concern for the Pakistani public, and if that was not enough, fuel shortages are the latest addition to the woes of the masses. Motorists all over the country are bearing the brunt of the fuel shortages ahead of the strike that is scheduled for 5 November, according to SAMAA News.
The Chairman of the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, Abdul Sami Khan, stated on Tuesday that the government has not increased the petroleum dealers’ commission in the last nine years. The commission rate has been 2.5 since 2012, and the Petroleum Division demands that the rate be increased to six percent.
The chairman added that the Petroleum Dealers’ expenses have increased dramatically over the last several years, which makes it hard for the businesses to stay afloat, especially during the current inflation. He said that the government had promised an increase of up to five percent in the commission rate but no official increase has been made to date.
The report clarifies that the petrol shortage is not essentially linked to the strike or the impending price hike, but due to a hiccup in the supply and demand. Regardless, the two events have coincided and are fueling speculations by the public.
The spokesperson for the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (APPDA) also said that it has been invited by the Director-General of Oil at the Petroleum Division for a meeting on Saturday, and claimed that the Director did not seem to take the matter seriously.
The protest is scheduled to take place on 5 November, and the APPDA has declared that the operations of all the fuel stations across Pakistan will remain suspended on this day.
