Tag: PDL

  • Govt increases levy on petrol to Rs55 per litre, maintains Rs50 levy on diesel

    Govt increases levy on petrol to Rs55 per litre, maintains Rs50 levy on diesel

    In a recent development, the government has decided to raise the petroleum development levy (PDL) on petrol in accordance with a staff-level agreement worth $3 billion signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Starting from today, the PDL on petrol will be increased from Rs50 to Rs55 per litre, while there will be no change in the development levy on high-speed diesel (HSD), which remains at Rs50 per litre.

    The announcement was made by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who clarified that petrol prices would not be affected by this decision. However, diesel prices will see an increase of Rs7.50 for the next two weeks, with the new price becoming effective from July 1.

    Minister Dar emphasised this during a late-night press conference, ensuring that there would be no change in the price of petrol.

    To enable this adjustment, the government sought the power to amend the Petroleum Products (Petroleum Levy) Ordinance, 1961 (XXV of 1961) through the Finance Act 2023-24. This amendment grants the government the authority to increase the petroleum levy, eliminating the requirement for parliamentary approval to determine the maximum limit of the levy.

    According to The News, the Ministry of Finance shared with the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that the PDL has been set at Rs60 per litre, aiming to generate revenue of Rs879 billion in the upcoming fiscal year. This target surpasses the revised target of Rs542 billion for the previous financial year, which concluded on June 30, 2023.

  • Petroleum prices to remain unchanged for next fortnight

    Petroleum prices to remain unchanged for next fortnight

    For the upcoming two weeks, the government has decided to keep petroleum product prices unchanged.

    Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, made the announcement during a press conference.

    This means that the price of petrol will remain unchanged at Rs224.80 per liter, high-speed diesel (HSD) at Rs235.30, light diesel oil (LDO) Rs186.50, while kerosene will be sold at Rs191.83.

    It is important to note that the administration did not change the prices during the most recent fortnightly review. The government refused to lower the price of gasoline for the general population by raising the petroleum development levy (PDL) by Rs14.84.

    Dar also stated that the government will clear the outstanding letters of credit (LCs) after speaking with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), with the cap increasing to $100,000 from the existing $50,000 as of November 1.

    Despite the relief, locals are forced to buy petrol for their daily commute at outrageously high costs. Contrarily, it is anticipated that CNG stations in Punjab and Sindh may be closed for longer than four months, which has made the issues of the populace much worse.