Petrol pump owners announce nationwide strike after talks over daily p

Petrol pump owners in Pakistan have announced a nationwide strike after talks with the government over a new daily petroleum pricing mechanism ended without agreement, according to a monitored public feed and a report published by Dawn.

The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association (APPPOA) said on Tuesday that it would begin an indefinite strike from Wednesday night, warning that around 15,000 petrol pumps could remain closed across the country on Thursday. The decision came after what the association described as an hour-long meeting with the government team, led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, failed to resolve its objections to the proposed daily pricing system.

Speaking to the media after the talks, APPPOA representatives said the group had concluded that it had no option but to strike, calling the issue one of survival for petrol pump owners. Association officials said the plan to revise petroleum prices every day was unacceptable and would not work for dealers. They argued that fuel prices should instead continue to be set on a monthly basis.

The association also said a long-standing demand for an increase in dealer commission had still not been addressed. According to APPPOA leaders, the commission has remained unchanged for the past three years, while petrol pump owners have faced mounting financial pressure from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, oil marketing companies and government policy decisions.

APPPOA Chairman Humayun Khan said the daily pricing system had created confusion and hurt businesses already operating on thin margins. He also argued that the mechanism could benefit oil marketing companies, which he said might delay deliveries if prices fall and book upliftment through advance billing.

Vice Chairman Nauman Ali Butt said the government’s move to shift to daily price revisions had been taken without adequate consultation and showed little understanding of ground-level business realities. He said the association wanted the government to reconsider the mechanism, raise dealers’ commissions and involve petrol pump owners in policy discussions.

A separate group, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), also indicated it would decide on Wednesday whether to proceed with a strike after meeting its executive body. PPDA Senior Adviser Malik Khuda Bukhsh told Dawn that daily fuel pricing was “not possible and unacceptable.”

There was also a public split in how the negotiations were presented. A statement from the Petroleum Division said its talks with the PPDA had been successful, and claimed the dealers had supported the government’s approach. But PPDA representatives said they had told Ogra that the daily pricing decision had been introduced too quickly and that the association needed time to consult its executive committee before making any strike decision.

The Petroleum Division has said the new system will be based on a seven-day rolling average of international prices and is intended to improve transparency and better reflect market movements. The PPDA, meanwhile, has publicly urged the government to review the 24-hour adjustment mechanism.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and attributed to Dawn Home.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017314/petrol-pump-owners-announce-nationwide-strike-after-talks-over-daily-pricing-fail