Government’s big decision for small vehicle users

The government has approved a major relief package for small vehicle and two-wheeler users to mitigate the impact of high petrol prices.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved Rs 75 billion for the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Programme. This amount will provide relief of up to Rs 100 per litre on petrol to eligible users.

Under the approved scheme, users of motorcycles and other two-wheelers will get a relief of Rs500 every week. Users of three-wheelers will also be included in this facility.

According to the government, this amount is equivalent to a discount of Rs 100 per litre on five litres of petrol. On the other hand, owners of vehicles up to 800 cc will be given a relief of Rs 1,000 for 10 days.

This facility will be for non-commercial users only. One person will be able to get relief for only one vehicle. This condition is aimed at reaching the maximum number of genuine users with government assistance.

The government has decided to use a digital system for the distribution of relief. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication will develop and operate the Fuel Pass System. Through this system, the eligibility of users and the provision of relief will be managed digitally.

This decision has come at a time when petrol has become expensive in Pakistan due to the increase in global oil prices. In view of this situation, the government has targeted low-income consumers and consumers using small vehicles for daily travel.

According to initial government estimates, about 11.8 million consumers can benefit from this programme. These include about 10 million two-wheeler users, 800,000 three-wheeler users and about 1 million small vehicle users.

The government says the targeted relief is aimed at reducing the burden of rising petrol prices. However, the success of the scheme will depend on transparent registration and timely payment.