ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The government on Saturday announced major changes to the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme, including abolition of SMS charges, to facilitate beneficiaries, particularly motorcycle, rickshaw and Qingqi users.
Addressing a media briefing, Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the Rs500 per-token limit for two- and three-wheelers had been abolished. Also, she said, eligible two- and three-wheeler users could obtain four tokens per month, with each token carrying a relief amount of Rs500. For example, if two litres of petrol cost Rs780, the beneficiary would pay Rs280 after applying the Rs500 relief token, she explained.
She said another major change was the abolition of SMS charges across the board under the scheme. SMS had been made free for everyone, whether they owned an 800cc vehicle or a two- or three-wheeler, she said.
Five-litre limit per token abolished; two- and three-wheeler users allowed four Rs500 relief tokens a month
According to her, more than 1.75 million registrations had been completed under the scheme by 3pm on Saturday, while around 1.5m tokens had been generated.
Redemption of fuel tokens
Meanwhile, the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, approved redemption of fuel tokens through SMS for stations located in areas without internet connectivity.
It asked Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the provinces to furnish lists of such stations so that they could be brought onto the scheme without delay. Registration continues nationwide through SMS to 9771.
The meeting was attended by the ministers for petroleum, economic affairs, information and IT & telecommunications; SBP deputy governor, Ogra chairman; Pakistan Digital Authority chairman; petroleum secretary; ICT chief commissioner; additional chief secretaries of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and senior officials from AJK, GB and Balochistan.
