ISLAMABAD: The government has removed the requirement to purchase at least five litres of fuel in a single transaction under the Prime Minister’s Special Relief Scheme, allowing eligible beneficiaries to redeem their weekly Rs500 fuel token for any quantity.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, to review implementation of the relief scheme following feedback received during its first 48 hours of nationwide rollout.
Under the revised arrangement, beneficiaries using motorcycles, three-wheelers and rickshaws will receive a weekly token worth Rs500, which can now be used to purchase fuel in any quantity.
The government has also extended the eligibility age of two-wheelers and three-wheelers from 15 years to 20 years.
For four-wheelers with engine capacity of up to 800cc, there has been no change in the existing arrangement. Eligible consumers will continue to receive one 10-litre token every 10 days, equivalent to three tokens per month.
The government clarified that the full Rs500 value of the token will be passed on to consumers, and fuel stations will not be allowed to deduct any amount or charge a service fee.
The committee also reviewed progress on registration, token redemption and payments to fuel stations.
Dar directed the State Bank of Pakistan to provide payment-status reports twice a day at 11am and 7pm. He said rejected transactions should be identified along with the specific reasons and rectified without delay.
The deputy prime minister also directed authorities to establish alternative arrangements for fuel stations operating in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
The arrangements will particularly cover Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remote rural areas in other parts of the country.
Dar emphasised that the scheme was intended to provide relief to vulnerable citizens and that no eligible beneficiary should be deprived of the facility because of their geographical location.
The meeting was attended by the ministers for petroleum, economic affairs, information and broadcasting, and IT and telecommunications, along with the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan, OGRA chairman, secretary petroleum, additional chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and senior officials from AJK, GB, Islamabad Capital Territory and relevant federal and provincial departments.
