Key Points
- Government reviews fuel supply position after recent price adjustment
- Diesel stocks are available for around 25 days, and crude oil has 12 days of cover
- Digital monitoring system to track fuel stocks and sales in real time
- Crackdown planned on hoarding and market irregularities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to strengthen oversight of fuel markets following a recent price adjustment, reviewing supply conditions, stock levels, and monitoring systems to ensure uninterrupted availability and price stability across the country.
A meeting of the federal cabinet’s sub-committee on fuel price monitoring, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, assessed the overall petroleum supply situation and market conditions, with a focus on maintaining supply continuity and enforcing market discipline.
The committee noted that the country’s fuel supply remains stable, with diesel stocks sufficient for around 25 days, petrol availability adequate to meet current demand, and crude oil reserves covering approximately 12 days, supported by incoming shipments and scheduled imports.
The import arrangements are on track through a mix of commercial procurement and state-level agreements, while domestic refineries continue to operate at optimal levels to sustain output, officials told the committee.
The committee highlighted the importance of a reliable fuel supply for key sectors, including agriculture, fertiliser production, transport, and industry, noting its central role in supporting economic activity and controlling inflationary pressures.
In response to recent price movements, authorities stressed the need for vigilance across the supply chain to prevent hoarding, speculative activity, and disruptions in availability.
Monitoring of demand patterns, including regional variations, will be strengthened to ensure balanced distribution.
The meeting also reviewed the natural gas supply situation, including stock levels and allocation priorities between households and power generation.
Officials described a data-driven approach to managing seasonal demand and rising reliance on liquefied petroleum gas as vital to sustainable contingency management.
A key focus of the discussion was the expansion of a digital monitoring dashboard developed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, designed to provide real-time data on fuel stocks, sales, and supply conditions from depots to retail outlets.
The system is intended to improve transparency and enable timely decision-making, though officials noted that data reporting from retail fuel stations remains below expectations given the scale of more than 12,000 outlets nationwide.
The finance minister directed all stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate data sharing, instructing regulators to accelerate digitisation across the supply chain and improve coordination with oil marketing companies and other stakeholders.
To strengthen implementation, joint inspection teams comprising officials from relevant government departments and state-owned Pakistan State Oil will be deployed at selected retail stations in Islamabad to support data reporting, improve stock visibility, and ensure compliance.
The measures are aimed at institutionalising oversight mechanisms, enhancing accountability, and ensuring consistent reporting across the fuel retail network, officials maintained.
