The government on Friday increased the price of petrol by Rs5.02 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs5.28 per litre.
Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs375.82 per litre while HSD will cost Rs403.32 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel.
According to the Petroleum Division’s notification, the new prices will be applicable from Sept 12 (Saturday) to Sept 14 (Monday).
The price of HSD has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28.
The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March.
On July 17, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.
Prior to this, the government had been announcing revisions to fuel prices since early March alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The federal government in April also announced targeted relief measures to provide fuel.
The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had decided to give the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) the responsibility of deciding fuel prices on the basis of international market trends.
Petrol is mainly used in transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes.
Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators.
Petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are the revenue earners, with monthly sales of about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene.
