Cabinet panel flags weak petrol pump data reporting despite stable fuel supplies

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on Petrol Prices on Monday reviewed the country’s petroleum supply position and market conditions, with discussions centred on uninterrupted availability, market discipline and tighter monitoring across the supply chain.

According to a Finance Ministry press release, the meeting was chaired by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb. The committee carried out a detailed assessment of petroleum stocks, import planning and refinery operations.

The statement said members were informed that the overall supply situation remained stable. Diesel stocks were said to be sufficient for around 25 days, petrol supplies were adequate to meet existing demand, and crude oil inventories stood at about 12 days of cover, with support from incoming cargoes and scheduled imports.

A key focus of the meeting was stronger monitoring and data-based oversight through the digital dashboard launched by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). The system is intended to provide real-time visibility of stock levels, sales and supply conditions from depots to retail outlets.

The committee was told that the dashboard is expected to function as a central mechanism for tracking major indicators, including sales, inventories and shifts in demand, so that supply gaps can be identified in time and decisions can be taken on the basis of current data.

While noting progress on the initiative, the committee observed that reporting from retail outlets was still below the required level, especially in view of the more than 12,000 petrol pumps operating across the country. It stressed that the system must be fully operational to deliver the intended results.

OGRA was directed to enforce compliance with data reporting requirements, speed up digitisation across the supply chain and remain in close coordination with oil marketing companies and other relevant stakeholders for smooth implementation. In this regard, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) will further improve visibility across its retail network and expand reporting coverage on a priority basis.

To strengthen implementation, it was decided that joint teams made up of representatives from the Petroleum Division, OGRA, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and PSO would be deployed to selected PSO petrol pumps in Islamabad. The purpose, according to the statement, is to support timely data entry, improve transparency regarding stocks and ensure operational compliance.

The Petroleum Division informed the committee that import arrangements for the coming weeks were on schedule. The committee also highlighted the importance of dependable energy supplies for agriculture, fertiliser production, transport and industry, saying this was essential for sustaining economic activity and preserving price stability.

Against the backdrop of recent price movements, the committee called for continued vigilance throughout the supply chain to prevent hoarding, speculative activity and any disruption in product availability. It also stressed close monitoring of demand trends, including localised changes in consumption, to help maintain balanced supply management.

The committee further underscored the need to discourage unauthorised storage and tackle market irregularities within the regulatory framework.

In addition to petroleum matters, the committee reviewed the gas supply situation, including stock positions of SNGPL and SSGC, and discussed options for managing gas availability for domestic consumers as well as its allocation between the domestic and power sectors.