Fears of a fuel crisis across the country were averted until October 31, 2025, as the Oil Market Advisory Council (OMAC) penned a letter to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.
Sources said that the Sindh government is likely to defer the deduction of the Cess tax till October 31, 2025.
Sources further revealed that the Sindh government directed the oil marketing companies to deposit a bank guarantee by October 31, 2025, to avoid any action.
The Sindh government imposed a 1.80 percent infrastructure cess on petroleum products. Rs3 per liter will be charged on petrol at the gate-out from the port.
The Oil Marketing Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has urged Chief Minister, Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, to direct FBR and Customs to allow clearance of all POL cargoes without bank guarantees or IDC inclusion, ensuring uninterrupted fuel supplies across the country.Retail fuel prices in Pakistan are likely to increase by around Rs3 per litre after the Sindh government reimposed the 1.8% Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess (SIDC) on petroleum imports — a move that oil companies warn could disrupt supplies and burden consumers.
“This cess adds over Rs3 per litre to the product cost and will ultimately burden the general public, as petroleum product prices are federally regulated,” said OCAC Secretary General Syed Nazir Abbas Zaidi in a letter addressed to the Sindh Chief Minister.
The OCAC reported that several petrol and diesel cargoes at Karachi’s ports, including those of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Hascol Petroleum, and Pakistan GasPort Limited (PGL), are now facing clearance delays due to the new guarantee requirement.
The OCAC warned that such holdups could lead to fuel shortages nationwide, especially during the ongoing agricultural season when demand typically peaks.
Reporter Ashraf Khan