ISLAMABAD: The federal government has ended fuel subsidies for motorcyclists, public transport operators and small farmers following a meeting of the National Steering Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to an official statement issued after the meeting, subsidies for motorcycle riders and small farmers have been withdrawn, while support for public and freight transport operators has also been discontinued.
The statement said the subsidy program had been implemented across all four provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said the decision was made after a significant decline in global fuel prices and noted that the benefits of lower prices had already been passed on to consumers. The committee agreed to end the subsidies with the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Under the previous scheme, owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and 800cc vehicles received subsidies ranging from 50 to 100 rupees per liter. Public and goods transport operators were provided monthly support of between 70,000 and 100,000 rupees to help keep fares low.
Small-scale farmers had also been receiving a diesel subsidy of 100 rupees per liter.
More read, KP introduces fuel subsidy scheme for commercial vehicles
Earlier, government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had decided to introduce the Ehsaas Fuel Support Scheme for commercial vehicles to provide relief amid rising fuel prices.
This step comes after a sharp increase in petroleum prices due to regional tensions involving Iran, prompting both federal and provincial governments to offer fuel support to different groups, including motorcyclists and public transport operators.
