The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has announced a nationwide closure of petrol pumps on July 5. Abdul Sami Khan, the PPDA Chairman, made this announcement during a press conference in Islamabad, highlighting their grievances against the government’s taxation policies.
“We can’t keep running petrol pumps at a loss. There’s no way to sustain our business under these conditions,” said Khan, painting a grim picture of the industry’s future. The dealers are up in arms over the recent imposition of a 0.5% advance tax, which they claim is the last straw for their already thin profit margins. “We’ve been hit with a double whammy. Our margins are already razor-thin, and now this new tax is squeezing us dry,” he explained.
Khan revealed that they had met with the Finance Minister, hoping for relief, but instead, their concerns were brushed aside. “It’s a bitter pill to swallow,” he remarked. “If this tax goes through, we’ll have no choice but to close our pumps. And if our livelihoods are at stake, we’ll take even tougher measures.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Khan accused the government of turning a blind eye to the rampant smuggling of Iranian oil. “We’re shouting from the rooftops, but nobody’s listening. We need an agreement with Iran and proper taxation on their oil to stop this smuggling. It’s the government’s duty to crack down on this illegal activity.”