Govt to digitally track fuel supply, curb smuggling
The government has introduced a landmark bill in the National Assembly aimed at digitally tracking petroleum products from import and production to retail sales in a bid to curb smuggling and adulteration, which cause massive revenue losses estimated at Rs300-500 billion annually besides affecting environment and vehicle engines. The Petroleum (Amendment) Act, 2025 — moved by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Monday — seeks to amend the 1934 Petroleum Act. The draft law envisages new clauses for information technology-based tracking of petroleum products to curb smuggling and to initiate strict actions against illegal transportation and decantation of petroleum products, along with actions to be taken against illegal petrol pumps. All local refineries and major oil marketing companies have been demanding — both individually and from their collective forums — that the government take stringent measures at borders and at domestic locations of production and sale to control smuggling of petroleum products, including LPG, as it negatively affected their businesses and caused substantial revenue losses to the government.