PESHAWAR: Petrol pump owners and dealers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have deferred their strike after the government’s assurance of demands being accepted; however, they have warned of going on an indefinite strike from November 20 if the commitment is not fulfilled.
Speaking a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Sarhad Petroleum and Cartage Dealers Association (SPCDA) Chairman Abdul Majid Khan informed that All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (APPDA) delegation led by its chairman Abdul Sami Khan met with Federal Minister Hammad Azhar, secretary Petroleum, high officials of OGRA and others, during which they had been assured of a revision of profit margins within next ten days.
Flanked by the other members of the association, Majid Khan said that the central association will send a summary to petroleum division within next three days.
He said that they had been demanding an increase in the profit margin for the last three years but the government had ignored them, adding that doing business with increasing expenditures is not only difficult, but impossible.
The association chairman expressed fear that 80 per cent petrol pumps will be closed if the government didn’t increase margin up to 6 per cent, which would create massive unemployment and affect poor families.
He said the increase in profit margin is essential owing to increasing price hikes, collection of multiple taxes, increase in staff salaries and other expenditures.
Majid Khan informed that the current profit margin is Rs3.91 per litre, and after paying various taxes and expenditures profit comes down to almost zero.
Similarly, he said the electricity tariff is gradually increasing while frequent power loadshedding has also made it difficult to smooth operation in petrol pumps so they have been forced to use generators to facilitate buyers that has also contributed to increase in their expense.
To a question, he replied that more than 1,500 petrol pumps have been established across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which are facing various problems to operational issues.
He said doing business in three different shifts is as difficult as jehad.
The association chairman made it clear that if the government didn’t increase profit margin at 6 per cent as per commitment, the owners and dealers would be compelled to go on strike from November 20, which will continue till the acceptance of demands.
