Key Takeaways
- A Senate committee expressed concern over small petrol price reductions.
- The committee questioned the mechanism for determining fuel prices.
- Employees of Inter Gas System (ISGS) raised grievances over their termination.
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over the minimal reductions in petrol prices, questioning the rationale behind such small adjustments despite the arrival of petroleum consignments and sufficient stocks in the country.
The matter was discussed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, which also reviewed issues related to the termination of employees at Inter Gas System (ISGS) and gas connection problems in Quetta.
Senator Manzoor Ahmed chaired the meeting, during which the committee was briefed on the prevailing petroleum pricing mechanism, including the daily pricing process and the roles of the Petroleum Division, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
The Petroleum Division informed the committee about the mechanism for maintaining and revising petroleum prices, stating that prices had been revised on a monthly basis previously but were now updated on a daily basis due to the Iran-Israel conflict.
Committee members also learned that the government had introduced a fuel subsidy scheme, which has benefited approximately nine million people out of the 10 million registered, with around 9,700 fuel stations facilitating consumers under the scheme.
The panel was further briefed on the joint grievances submitted by ISGS employees regarding the termination of their regular services. The affected employees explained that, despite the company’s operational projects not being discontinued, 15 employees, including two members of the executive staff, had been terminated.
One of the affected employees informed the committee that they had been told the company’s operations would be closed within two to three months, and they had been paid two months’ salary as compensation upon their arrival at the office in the morning.
The Chairman of the committee observed that the termination of a permanent employee’s services must follow the prescribed procedure, including proper notification to the employee. He expressed concern over the termination of regular employees, particularly those at an advanced stage of their careers, without adequate consideration of their future prospects in an environment marked by unemployment.
The Human Resources wing of the company briefed the committee on the procedure followed for the termination of employees and directed the company to submit its criteria for the appointment and termination of employees, along with a complete list of the affected employees, in the next meeting.
