Petrol price.

Byline: Khawar Abbas - Karachi

THE federal government recently increased fuel prices by a record Rs25 per litre to touch Rs100 per litre. This was basically because of pressure from oil marketing companies for continuously booking impairments on their inventories on declining prices.

Fuel consumption in June stood at approximately 725,000 tonnes. Initially, instead of reducing prices to Rs80, why doesn't the government make a fund which will absorb both upward and downward revision of oil prices?

When oil prices declined significantly, the government should maintain prices and put the amount in such a fund. On an increase in fuel prices, the same fund should be used to compensate the additional burden. Hence, fuel prices at Rs100 per litre can be maintained at...