Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says more than 10 million people have benefited from Pakistan’s fuel subsidy scheme, with Rs75 billion allocated to continue the program.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that more than 10 million people have benefited at least once from the Prime Minister’s Fuel Subsidy Scheme, crediting cooperation between the federal and provincial governments for expanding the program’s reach. He also announced a national award for Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on March 23.

Speaking at a ceremony and afternoon reception Friday honoring ministers and officials involved in implementing the scheme, the prime minister said the government had allocated Rs75 billion to continue providing relief to eligible citizens.

Sharif praised the federal and provincial governments for working together to deliver subsidies directly through a digital system. He said the initiative had involved considerable challenges but that coordinated efforts had helped the program reach millions of people.

The prime minister said he had written to provincial chief ministers to thank them personally for their cooperation, adding that the scheme’s implementation would not have achieved the same results without the efforts of provincial administrations and their teams.

According to figures shared at the event, more than 10.88 million citizens had registered for the scheme, while vouchers had been issued to more than 10.19 million people. The government had issued a total of 27 million tokens, of which citizens had used 19.4 million to purchase fuel at subsidized prices.

Sharif said 9.277 million citizens had received and used tokens more than once. He also said approximately 96% of motorcyclists had benefited from the scheme.

The program covers eligible owners of motorcycles, Qingqi vehicles, rickshaws and cars with engines of up to 800cc. According to the prime minister, beneficiaries have received a monthly benefit of Rs2,000 through the scheme.

He said the program had provided both direct and indirect relief to households. Families using motorcycles for school transport and other daily needs had also benefited, he said, estimating that households with an average of five members could bring the total number of people indirectly benefiting to around 50 million.

The prime minister compared the scheme’s current reach with an earlier phase launched during the war that began in February. At that time, he said, the highest number of tokens issued stood at 1.3 million. He credited the increase in participation to the efforts of federal ministries, provincial governments and supporting institutions.

Sharif specifically acknowledged the contributions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Shaza Fatima, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. He also thanked the relevant ministries, secretaries, chief secretaries and provincial chief ministers.

He praised the Petroleum Division, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, State Bank of Pakistan, National Database and Registration Authority, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and telecom operators for their role in implementing the program.

At the ceremony, Sharif announced that Shaza Fatima would receive a Tamgha on March 23 in recognition of her services. Officials from other departments will also receive shields in acknowledgment of their contributions.

The prime minister said the scheme would continue to provide relief to eligible citizens, with the Rs75 billion allocation set aside for the program.