{"id":24350,"date":"2025-10-21T12:04:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=24350"},"modified":"2025-10-21T12:04:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:04:06","slug":"fuel-shortage-temporarily-eases-as-sindh-clears-pso-vessel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=24350","title":{"rendered":"Fuel shortage temporarily eases as Sindh clears PSO vessel"},"content":{"rendered":"
The threat of a shortage of petroleum products has been temporarily averted after the Sindh government cleared a Pakistan State Oil (PSO) vessel on a 15-day undertaking.<\/p>\n

The clearance of petroleum consignments at Karachi Port had been delayed due to the provincial government\u2019s enforcement of a 1.8% Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess, prompting fears of a nationwide fuel shortage.<\/p>\n

The 1.8% cess is expected to increase the cost of petroleum products by more than Rs3 per litre. Although fuel prices are regulated, the levy\u2019s imposition will have a direct impact on consumers.<\/p>\n

According to sources, following the clearance granted to PSO, other oil marketing companies (OMCs) are also expected to have their consignments released for 15 days without submitting full bank guarantees. Authorities have issued temporary approval for the clearance of imported fuel under the 15-day bank guarantee arrangement.<\/p>\n

OMCs have reportedly shown reluctance to submit 100% bank guarantees, arguing that doing so would severely affect their cash flow. Officials estimate that this additional cost could translate into a burden of at least Rs3 per litre for consumers.<\/p>\n

The Sindh Excise Department has issued a second urgent notice to OMCs, directing them to submit the required bank guarantees instead of undertakings. The department has stated that companies\u2019 cases will only be processed once the guarantees have been received.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

It further warned that any disruption to fuel supplies resulting from a failure to provide the guarantees would be the responsibility of the respective companies.<\/p>\n

Read: Nationwide fuel shortage feared as Sindh imposes infrastructure cess on oil imports<\/p>\n

Fears of shortage<\/p>\n

The Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) had earlier written to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to raise the alarm over the situation. According to the OCAC, petroleum cargoes currently being discharged, along with ships anchored at ports, require immediate customs clearance.<\/p>\n

The letter stated that PSO\u2019s oil tankers \u2013 MT Islam 2 and MT Hanifa \u2013 are berthed and awaiting clearance. It added that oil stocks at the Keamari terminal are running low and that the two vessels at Karachi Port Trust (KPT) must be granted customs clearance without delay.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly after customs clearance can the continuity of the petroleum supply chain across the country be ensured,\u201d the OCAC cautioned.<\/p>\n

The Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan (OMAP) also warned that the 1.85% Infrastructure Development Cess and mandatory bank guarantee requirement could disrupt petroleum imports across the country.<\/p>\n

OMAP Chairman Tariq Wazir Ali cautioned that the Sindh government\u2019s new policy poses a \u201cserious threat\u201d to the national petroleum supply chain. He warned that unless the bank guarantee condition is withdrawn, Pakistan\u2019s oil imports could face severe disruptions, potentially leading to a shortage of petrol and diesel nationwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis issue requires urgent attention,\u201d Ali emphasised. \u201cIf timely action is not taken, the country could face a severe shortage of fuel, impacting both the economy and industry,\u201d he added.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The threat of a shortage of petroleum products has been temporarily averted after the Sindh government cleared a Pakistan State Oil (PSO) vessel on a 15-day undertaking. The clearance of petroleum consignments at Karachi Port had been delayed due to the provincial government\u2019s enforcement of a 1.8% Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess, prompting fears of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24350\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}