PM Shehbaz Sharif reviews the Prime Minister Fuel Relief Scheme as registrations exceed 8.4 million and more than 7.5 million citizens receive subsidies.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reviewed the progress of the Prime Minister Fuel Relief Scheme, under which fuel subsidies are being provided to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles with engine capacity of up to 800cc.
During the meeting, the prime minister reiterated the government’s commitment to providing relief to low-income and middle-class citizens amid rising petroleum prices. He said timely government measures had enabled citizens to benefit from the fuel subsidy.
According to a briefing, more than 8.4 million people have registered under the scheme, while more than 7.5 million citizens have already benefited from the subsidy.
The scheme, which began on Sept. 15, is now entering its third week. Citizens who received the fuel subsidy during the first and second rounds will be able to receive the subsidy for the next week, according to the briefing.
A total of 12.2 million fuel subsidy tokens have been issued since the launch of the scheme, of which more than 10.3 million have been used.
The scheme is currently being implemented in 129 districts across the country, with all petrol pumps providing facilities to citizens under the program, the meeting was told.
A 24-hour call center has also been established to guide citizens and petrol pump owners regarding the scheme. The Prime Minister’s Office Public Affairs Unit and elected representatives are assisting citizens with registration.
Shehbaz praised the performance of the government team involved in implementing the fuel subsidy scheme, describing it as an example of effective, coordinated cooperation and joint efforts across the government machinery.
He also appreciated the efforts of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, OGRA and other federal and provincial officials associated with the scheme.
The prime minister said the stable database developed through the fuel subsidy scheme would also be used to support citizens in the future.
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