FBR, interior ministry told to crack down on rampant oil smuggling
Amid supply chain challenges leading to the closure of refining units and storage constraints, the government has asked the Ministry of Interior and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to start immediate operations against oil smuggling with the support of other stakeholders. Informed sources told Dawn the prime minister had also taken up the matter with the defence authorities to extend maximum support to the civil agencies concerned in eradicating smuggling, which causes annual losses of hundreds of billions of rupees and negatively affects the smooth functioning of the petroleum supply chain, including refineries and marketing companies. Separately, the Ministry of Interior and the FBR have been directed to take “appropriate and immediate action to address this critical issue”, according to a communication of the petroleum division based on a complaint by the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Prime Minister’s Office.