Petroleum Ministry invites petrol dealers for talks after strike warning

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Petroleum has invited petroleum dealers for talks after they announced to go on strike from July 18, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has demanded the government to enhance the dealers’ margin to six percent.

The petrol dealers had threatened to observe a nationwide strike on July 18 if the government fails to fulfill their demand of hike in the dealers’ commission.

The union had summoned a session regarding the strike and negotiations with the government over the dealer’s margin. Petrol pumps cannot operate under the current margin, they claimed.

The association said that the minimum wage of an employee has reached Rs25,000 and prices of other commodities were also increased. The dealers said that the margin should be increased up to six percent due to increase in the expenditures.

The prime minister addressing the nation on July 14, announced a reduction of Rs18.50 per litre of petrol and by Rs40.54 per litre in diesel price to transfer the benefit of decline in fuel prices in the international market to consumers.