Fuel Relief Scheme: Important progress on registration of rickshaws and loaders

The government has decided to resolve the issues related to the registration of rickshaws and loaders on a priority basis during the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme. According to officials, more than five million people have registered for the scheme, and the issuance of fuel tokens is underway.

A review meeting held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema reviewed the progress of the scheme, registration issues and payment status. The meeting was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik, Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja and representatives of relevant institutions.

It was informed in the meeting that the initial issues, including registration at most petrol pumps, have been resolved. However, the owners of such rickshaws and loaders are still facing difficulties which are not registered with the provincial excise departments.

Representatives of the provincial governments said that the process of registration of rickshaws has been started. According to officials, once the registration of eligible vehicles is completed, their owners can be included in the scheme. On the other hand, owners of registered motorcycles have started getting relief.

Ahad Cheema directed the concerned authorities not to deprive any eligible person of relief due to administrative hurdles in registration. He also directed the Pakistan Digital Authority to activate a specific portal for complaints related to registration and token payment soon.

The issue of payments to petrol pumps was also discussed in the meeting. Officials said that most of the payments have been completed, while according to the State Bank, the issues related to pending payments are expected to be resolved in one to two days. Ahad Cheema clarified that the delay in payments should not affect the practical activities of the scheme.

The government has also been told to continue monitoring the scheme and public awareness. According to Attaullah Tarar, steps are being taken at the media and ground level to inform citizens about the scheme’s procedures.

The government had announced in early September that the fuel relief programme aims to provide targeted relief to specific consumers in the wake of rising petroleum prices. According to finance officials, the scheme has been approved to provide relief of up to Rs 500 per week for two- and three-wheelers and Rs 1,000 per 10-day period for vehicles up to 800 cc.

At the current stage, the focus is on making the registration, grievance redressal and payment systems more effective rather than expanding the scope of the scheme. According to officials, further improvements are being made to the system based on real-time data and feedback received from the ground level.