PESHAWAR: Filling stations owners and dealers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have deferred their strike plan after given assurance by the government to accept their demands and warned if the profit margin didn't increase as per commitment, they would go on strike for an indefinite period from November 20.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Sunday, Chairman Sarhad Petroleum and Cartage Dealers Association Abdul Majid Khan informed that All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association delegation led by its chairman Abdul Sami Khan met with Federal Minister Hammad Azhar, Secretary Petroleum, high official of Ogra and others, during which they had been assured to accept their demands within next ten days, especially increase in profit margin by 6 per cent after which the association put off previous strike call on November 5.
Majid Khan said that the central association will send a summary to petroleum division in next three days. He said they are demanding an increase in profit margin for the last three years but the government didn't accept it. He said doing business under the present increasing expenditures is not only difficult, but has been made impossible.
The association chairman expressed fear that 80 percent petrol pumps will be closed, if the government doesn't increase margin up to 6 percent, which would create massive unemployment and affect their poor families. He said the increase in profit margin is essential owing to increasing 'price-hike', collection of multiple taxes, increase in staff/employees' salaries and other expenditures.
Majid Khan informed that the current profit margin is Rs3.91 per litre, after paying off various taxes, expenditures that resultantly fully ended the profit margin. So, he asked: "How can it be possible to do business in the present situation?"
Similarly, he said the electricity tariff is gradually increasing while frequent power load shedding has also made it difficult to smoothly operate petrol pumps so they have been forced to use generators to facilitate buyers that has also contributed to increase in their expenses.
To a question, he replied that more than 1500 petrol pumps have been established across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that are facing various problems. He said doing business in three different shifts is a difficult task.
The association chairman made it clear that if the government didn't increase profit margin up to 6 percent as per commitment, the pumps owners and dealers would go on strike from November 20, which will be continued till acceptance of demands and government and relevant authorities would be responsible for any inconvenience to the public.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021