Senator Mohsin Aziz has criticised the recent increase in petroleum prices, alleging that the government's decision has fuelled inflation and placed an additional financial burden on the public.
In an attention notice regarding the increase in fuel prices, the senator said inflation had surged following the rise in petroleum product prices and questioned the government's policy of increasing petroleum levy rates.
Aziz said the government opted to raise the petroleum levy when it failed to collect sufficient taxes through other sources. He argued that the move had transferred the burden of revenue generation to ordinary citizens.
The senator claimed that neighbouring countries had increased petroleum prices by only around Rs3 despite facing similar international market conditions. He also said the reduction in global oil prices had not been reflected proportionately in domestic fuel prices in Pakistan.
"The public is being forced to bear repeated increases, while the benefit of lower international oil prices is not being fully passed on to consumers," he said.
Aziz further alleged that consumers were effectively being deprived of relief and accused the government of relying on fuel prices for revenue rather than reducing its own expenditures.
He said the government should focus on reducing unnecessary spending and improving fiscal management rather than imposing additional costs on the public by raising petroleum levies.