Smuggling of petrol and diesel increased again

Smuggling of petrol and diesel in Pakistan has increased once again. The Oil Companies Advisory Council has written to OGRA and the Ministry of Petroleum stating that the country’s oil refineries may be permanently shut down due to smuggled oil.

The letter states that the situation has improved with anti-trafficking measures taken a few months ago. According to various organizations, smuggling is on the rise again. One crore liters of smuggled products are consumed in the country every day.

Smuggled oil accounts for 20 percent of the country’s petroleum product consumption. Petrol-diesel sales fell by 5 percent due to smuggling. The smuggled oil is now being sold in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar.

Smuggling is causing a loss of one billion dollars to the national exchequer annually. Oil smuggling will also affect potential foreign investment. The Oil Companies Advisory Council has demanded immediate concrete steps from the government.