Another fuel shock as petrol, diesel get dearer.

ISLAMABAD -- The government on Wednesday increased the prices of all petroleum products, except the insignificant light diesel oil (LDO), by up to Rs13 per litre for the next fortnight.

With the latest review, the most inflationary high-speed diesel (HSD) prices made a new record, reaching Rs293 per litre. The HSD price adjustment directly impacts consumer prices because of an increase in transport costs.

While keeping the LDO rate unchanged at Rs184.84 per litre, the finance ministry said the per-litre price of petrol had been increased by Rs5 and that of HSD by Rs13.

The major impact of the hike in prices was mainly because of about Rs16 per dollar average depreciation over the last fortnight, i.e. since March 1. The ex-depot price of petrol has now been fixed at Rs272 per litre for the next fortnight instead of Rs267 per litre, up by Rs5 or 1.9pc. Likewise, the ex-depot price of HSD has now reached Rs293 per litre from Rs280, up by 4.6pc.

The ex-depot price of kerosene has increased by Rs2.56 (1.4pc) per litre to Rs190.29 from Rs187.73, and that of LDO was kept unchanged at Rs184.68 per litre.

Since Jan 15, the government has...