ISLAMABAD: Petroleum dealers in Pakistan have announced the closure of all filling stations nationwide on July 5 (tomorrow) to protest against the imposition of a 0.5% advance tax.
Last month, Pakistan’s federal government in its annual budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 imposed a 0.5 % advance tax on petroleum dealers.
Abdul Sami Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), stated that all petroleum pumps will remain closed tomorrow.
Earlier, in a statement, he mentioned that the newly imposed 0.5% advance turnover tax on petroleum dealers would make their business unsustainable. He warned that failure to rescind this decision would force them to cease operations nationwide.
The PPDA chief criticized the government’s tax policies, attributing the decline in sales of petroleum products to excessive taxation. He also accused the government of tacitly supporting smuggling activities and intimidating critics.
In response to these developments, a delegation of petroleum dealers will visit Islamabad to request meetings with the Finance Minister, Petroleum Minister, and Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The government increased the prices of petroleum products earlier on Sunday. The Finance Division issued an official notification setting the new petrol price at Rs 265.61 per litre, which marks an increase of Rs 7.45. Similarly, the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) rose by Rs 9.56 to Rs 277.45 per litre.”
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