The All Pakistan Oil Tankers Contractors Association (APOTCA) has announced a countrywide strike for an indefinite period, raising fears of a petrol crisis across the country.
According to local media reports, the association has parked the oil tankers and suspended the supply of oil in a bid to coerce the government in to meeting its demands.
Speaking to the media, APOTCA President Abidullah Afridi said that the oil tankers contractors and owners have invested billions of rupees to upgrade their vehicles to transport oil supplies from Karachi to the upcountry. However, the OMCs have laid the White Oil Pipeline (WOP) from Karachi to Punjab to transport oil upcountry.
“We demand 50pc quota in the WOP, meaning that oil marketing companies should dispatch 50pc supplies through roads and rest of the 50pc through the pipeline,” Afridi said.
The OMCs are reportedly dispatching some 60pc diesel supplies through the pipeline whereas the rest of the supplies were being supplied through tankers.
The association president went on to say that all the associations engaged in oil supplies to the upcountry are part of the strike, including the oil tankers owners’ association.
It may be mentioned here that there are some 15,000 tankers engaged in supplying petroleum products nationwide.
“The government had promised to cut the rate of tax on us to 2pc in FY22 from 3pc. However, the rate of tax has remained unchanged,” he said, adding that the demands included a cut in the rate of taxes on transportation of oil and fixation of the queue system at oil storage facilities.
“There is a need to fix the queue system at oil storage facilities. At present, tankers which belong to influential people are given priority while filling while others have to wait for longer durations,” he said.
Afridi vowed to continue the strike until their demands are met. However, on the other hand, the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) has distanced itself from the strike.
APOTOA’s vice president, while speaking to the media, said that the strike is an attempt to get rid the new system as a computerised system would end kickbacks on oil tankers.
