ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: In order to pacify the petroleum dealers, who were threatening to go on an indefinite strike against government’s decision of reducing their profit margins, the petroleum ministry on Saturday assured them that the matter will be resolved within a month.
“We will find out the solution of the problem in 20 to 30 days,” Petroleum Ministry Secretary Farrukh Qayyum told a delegation of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) led by its chairman Abdul Sami Khan.
A source told Dawn the ministry also assured the delegation that they would hold a meeting with the representatives of oil marketing companies next week to discuss the issue. The agitating petroleum dealers, who observed an effective strike on Friday, made their position clear to the ministry that they had postponed their strike and not called it off. “If the government does not come up with a workable solution, they might again go for a strike,” the PPDA chairman said after the meeting.
He said that the secretary told the delegation that after meeting the representatives of oil marketing companies, the recommendations would be sent to the federal cabinet for consideration.
After meeting the representatives of oil companies, another meeting would be held with the PPDA, Mr Khan added.
The government has reduced the commission of dealers twice during the last 17 months. In March 2006, the commission was reduced by 40 paisa per litre and now on August 25, it had been cut by 39 paisa.
Mr Khan said his association had demanded immediate withdrawal of recent reduction then it would take up last year’s cut in profit margin at a later stage.
Meanwhile, an official announcement said that the representatives of petroleum dealers of the four provinces and Azad Kashmir held a cordial meeting with the petroleum ministry secretary.
It was agreed that the issues were mostly related to the policy, which will be taken up at the appropriate forum.
