Shehbaz Government Collects Rs3,137bn from Public in Levies Over 2.5 Years

ISLAMABAD: The Shehbaz Sharif government has completed two and a half years, during which citizens have faced record-high petrol and diesel prices and a heavy burden of petroleum levies.
According to government documents, the federal government collected a record Rs3,137 billion in petroleum levies during this period. The cost of these levies was passed on to consumers through higher prices of petroleum products.
On March 4, 2024, when the government began, the price of high-speed diesel was Rs287.33 per litre. It later rose to Rs520.35 per litre, an increase of Rs233.
The price of petrol was Rs279.75 per litre at the start of the government and later reached Rs458.41 per litre, making it Rs178.66 more expensive per litre.
According to official documents, the federal government collected Rs1,567 billion in petroleum levy during the fiscal year 2025-26. More than Rs50 billion was also collected separately as a carbon levy on petrol and diesel.
In the fiscal year 2024-25, the government collected Rs1,220 billion in petroleum levies. During the April-June 2024 quarter alone, levy collection stood at Rs299.63 billion.
At present, a petroleum levy of Rs80 per litre each is being charged on petrol and diesel. In addition, a separate climate support levy of Rs5 per litre is also being collected on both products.