News
Saturday, April 02, 2011
OGRA responsible for oil price hike: PMISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday held the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) responsible for price increase in petroleum products, absolving his government of having any hand in dropping the latest petrol bomb on the masses. “Government has nothing to do with fluctuation in domestic oil prices,” the PM declared in response to criticism of members of Upper House to parliament on the latest price hike in petroleum products. Gilani said that increasing oil prices in international market has triggered the price hike in petroleum products domestically. “It is beyond the control of government to control the oil prices and OGRA took the decision keeping in view the international price factor,” Gilani said. However, he said that as far as the government is concerned, it wants to reduce oil prices, which is reflected from Rs 35 billion paid as subsidy to minimise the prices. Gilani rejected the notion that heavy taxation on the petroleum products was stirring up the increase in its prices and informed the House that, in fact, Pakistan has the lowest taxation on petroleum sector in the world.
He said that the government realised the miseries of the masses due to the burgeoning oil prices and we have to go to masses for votes. “We don’t want to be rejected by the people next time,” he said. The PM emphasised the need to devise a strategy in consultation with all the political parties to provide relief to the masses. “We need advice of all political parties to help government in the current situation to reduce the burden on the masses,” he added. He also stressed upon the people to conserve of electricity, gas and oil to utilise the available resources in an efficient manner. tanveer ahmed
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk