Islamabad: On the instructions of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the disbursement of recently announced subsidies to operators of goods and public transport has commenced.
This was revealed during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore on Sunday, which reviewed the progress of the government's subsidy program for petroleum products amid recent regional tensions.
Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister said passenger buses are receiving a subsidy of one hundred thousand rupees per month, while minibuses and vans are granted forty thousand rupees per month to prevent fare increases.
He further said trucks are being provided a monthly subsidy of seventy thousand rupees, large goods vehicles eighty thousand rupees, and delivery vans thirty-five thousand rupees to help curb rising food prices.
To ensure transparency, the Prime Minister said the subsidies are being disbursed through digital wallets. He added that all provincial governments have submitted detailed records of trucks, buses, and goods vehicles to the federal government.
Commending the Government of Balochistan, PM Shehbaz Sharif noted that it has deposited the allocated funds for the national package and expressed hope that other provinces will follow suit promptly.
The Prime Minister highlighted that a public relief package of 129 billion rupees has been provided over the past three weeks. Additionally, immediate relief has been extended to the public by reducing the petroleum levy by eighty rupees per litre.
PM Shehbaz Sharif further said the Pakistan Railways is providing a subsidy worth six billion rupees, preventing any increase in fares for passenger and goods trains. Moreover, the recently announced 25 percent quarterly increase in toll tax has been withdrawn.
The meeting was also briefed that adequate fuel reserves are available nationwide to meet the country's requirements.
A report from the Intelligence Bureau on the implementation of government austerity measures was presented during the meeting.