Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a special fuel relief scheme to cushion motorcycle, rickshaw, Qingqi and small-car users from rising petrol prices amid a surge in global oil prices triggered by tensions in the Middle East.
Under the scheme, eligible users of motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi and other two- and three-wheelers will receive a Rs100-per-litre relief on up to 20 litres of petrol per month, translating into savings of up to Rs2,000 a month.
Owners of vehicles with engines of up to 800cc will be eligible for the same Rs100-per-litre relief on up to 30 litres per month, providing savings of up to Rs3,000 a month.
The scheme covers small cars such as Suzuki Mehran, Alto and Bolan, according to the government’s information material available on website specially designated for PM’s fuel relief programme.
Who is eligible?
Motorcycle, rickshaw and other two- and three-wheeler users will be eligible for relief on up to 20 litres of petrol per month.
Owners of vehicles with engines of up to 800cc will receive relief on up to 30 litres of petrol per month.
The government will provide a Rs100-per-litre relief under the scheme.
The maximum monthly relief will be Rs2,000 for two- and three-wheelers and Rs3,000 for eligible small cars.
How to register?
Applicants will need a valid CNIC, a SIM registered in their name and vehicle registration details verified through the relevant provincial Excise Department records.
The registration process is based on SMS:
Step 1 — Registration:
Send the following format to 9771:
REG CNIC Plate No Province Code Registration Date
The vehicle registration date must be entered in DDMMYYYY format.
Province codes are:
I — Islamabad
A — Azad Jammu and Kashmir
G — Gilgit-Baltistan
S — Sindh
P — Punjab
K — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
B — Balochistan
Applicants will receive a confirmation message after successful registration.
Step 2 — Get a token:
Before visiting a petrol station, send TOK to 9771 to receive a fuel-relief token.
Step 3 — Buy subsidised petrol:
Show the SMS token at the petrol station to receive petrol at the subsidised price, with the Rs100-per-litre relief applied to the eligible monthly quota.
When will the scheme start?
The scheme will begin in Islamabad from midnight between September 14 and 15.
It will be rolled out across Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, from midnight between September 16 and 17.
Registration for the scheme opened on Sunday, while the government said further details would be communicated through an awareness campaign.
The above article is contributed by Baseer Ahmed, Head of Politics Desk at Business Recorder (Digital).
