The government has assured petroleum dealers that claims submitted under the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme will be processed within 48 hours after both sides reach an understanding on the programme’s payment mechanism.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik met representatives of petroleum pump dealers’ associations on Thursday and briefed them on the implementation mechanism for the scheme.
The meeting was informed that funds covering three months had been allocated for the Fuel Relief Scheme. Of the total amount, Rs. 25 billion for the first month had already been provided to the State Bank of Pakistan to ensure timely reimbursement to participating petroleum dealers.
The State Bank briefed participants on the reimbursement process and assured them that claims submitted under the scheme would be processed within 48 hours.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications also briefed participants on the digital system developed to implement the scheme. A dedicated control room has been established to assist petrol pumps and respond to their queries and complaints. Petrol pumps can contact the control room at 9772.
Petroleum pump and dealers’ associations welcomed the scheme and assured the government of their cooperation in its implementation. They also raised questions and concerns about the operational mechanism, which were addressed during the meeting.
Office bearers of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) said successful negotiations with the government had ended the deadlock over the Fuel Relief Package and that dealers had begun implementing the scheme.
The association expressed hope that timely implementation of the agreed payment mechanism would help address the concerns of petroleum dealers.
Ali Pervaiz Malik appreciated the cooperation extended by petroleum dealers and stressed the need for coordination among all stakeholders to ensure the relief programme is implemented effectively, transparently and on schedule.
