Pakistan to implement modern fuel management system amid petrol price hike

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan  government has decided to implement a nationwide digital fuel management system at petrol pumps, alongside plans to introduce a monthly petrol quota for privately owned vehicles.

Under the proposed mechanism, citizens will be allocated a fixed monthly petrol quota, and no individual will be permitted to purchase fuel beyond the prescribed limit.

The initiative is aimed at improving transparency and regulating fuel consumption across the country.

Preparations for the rollout are already at an advanced stage. The National Information Technology Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, has completed testing of mobile devices and a dedicated application designed for the system.

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The digital monitoring of petrol distribution will be carried out through an app developed by the Pakistan Digital Authority. To support the system, modern mobile handsets worth approximately Rs36,000 each will be provided to petrol pumps.

Funding for the procurement of these devices will be arranged by oil marketing companies, while the IT board will oversee their purchase and distribution through the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to relevant companies and fuel stations. OGRA has already been directed to instruct oil firms to proceed with the acquisition of the devices.

Officials confirmed that the technical standards and operational efficiency of the mobile devices have been verified, and a summary has been forwarded by the IT ministry to the Cabinet Division for final approval.

The Pakistan government is expected to formally announce the exact petrol quota for vehicles in the near future as part of broader efforts to digitise and regulate the fuel supply chain.