The National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy on Monday agreed in principle to end the government’s fuel subsidy programme following a significant decline in global oil prices, with the final decision to be made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The decision was taken during the seventh meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to an official statement, the committee reviewed the implementation of the fuel subsidy programme for motorcyclists, small farmers, public transport, and goods transport operators across all provinces.
The committee noted that global oil prices had declined significantly and that the relief resulting from lower international prices had already been passed on to the public.
During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar appreciated the cooperation extended by all provinces in implementing the subsidy programme. He directed the relevant authorities to document the experiences and lessons learned during the implementation process.
He instructed officials to address shortcomings in the existing data collection and delivery systems to ensure that future relief measures are implemented more effectively and efficiently.
The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, the secretaries of the Petroleum and Information Technology ministries, the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and senior representatives from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
