The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association (APPPOA) on Tuesday announced a nationwide strike from Wednesday night after negotiations with the government over daily petroleum pricing failed.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with the government’s team, led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, APPPOA representatives said their hour-long talks over the daily fuel pricing mechanism had “failed” to reach an agreement and that they were therefore left with no option but to go on an indefinite strike, as it was an issue of survival for them.
The APPPOA delegation comprised Chairman Humayun Khan, Vice Chairman Nauman Ali Butt and other officials.
Speaking to the media, Butt said the government’s plan to revise petroleum prices on a daily basis was “unacceptable to petrol pump dealers and unworkable”.
He said their main demand was that fuel prices should be determined on a monthly basis, adding that their longstanding demand for an increase in dealer commission had also remained pending, as the commission had remained frozen for the past three years.
Meanwhile, Khan said petrol pump owners were already facing “severe financial challenges” due to various pressures from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), oil marketing companies (OMCs) and government policies.
“The daily pricing mechanism created confusion and destroyed our businesses already running at thin margins,” he said, adding that the daily mechanism favoured OMCs who could delay deliveries in case of declining prices and book upliftment with advance billing.
Khan said it was “ironic” that the government had taken a major decision without consulting key stakeholders, reflecting the exclusion of small private businesses from policymaking and a lack of understanding of ground realities.
“The APPPOA has decided to observe a nationwide strike from midnight on Wednesday, which means around 15,000 petrol pumps across Pakistan will remain closed on Thursday,” he said.