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OMCs warn fuel supply at risk over unresolved policy | The Express Tribune
LAHORE:
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have once again raised concerns over challenges being faced by the petroleum sector, urging the government to resolve long-standing issues that directly impact supply chain sustainability and the financial health of the industry.
In a letter addressed to the government and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan (OMAP) Chairman Tariq Wazir Ali highlighted that despite repeated engagements with concerned authorities, several matters remain unresolved, creating uncertainty for companies operating in the sector.
The communication reflects the growing frustration within the OMC community over delays in decision-making and the absence of a clear policy direction. The letter points out that issues related to pricing mechanisms, margins, taxation complexities, and regulatory processes continue to weigh heavily on the sector’s overall performance. They argue that without timely government intervention, the sustainability of fuel supply to the public could face challenges, particularly at a time when the economy is struggling and energy affordability has become a national concern.
The letter further stated that the sector has remained patient despite increasing financial pressures. “The companies are performing a critical role in ensuring uninterrupted fuel availability, but we cannot sustain operations indefinitely under the current policy uncertainties. There has to be clarity and fairness in the regulatory framework if the industry is to serve both the government and the consumers effectively,” it said.
Ali also highlighted that companies have already made massive investments in the sector. “Investments have already been made, including Rs81 billion in storage facilities, which make up nearly half of the country’s total capacity, and Rs75 billion in retail networks and other assets. These investments have made the market more competitive and consumer-friendly,” he added.
He stressed that regulatory bodies must acknowledge the limitations of existing mechanisms and encourage collaboration to ensure a stable supply chain. According to the OMAP chairman, the current environment makes it difficult for OMCs to operate profitably, while being expected to maintain nationwide availability of petroleum products without compromise. “This dual pressure is not sustainable in the long run, and we urge the government to address our concerns without further delay,” he said.
Responding to the concerns raised in the letter, an OGRA spokesperson clarified the organisation’s position. “OGRA actively reviews and resolves industry issues within its purview. Moreover, there are numerous issues which pertain to policy, and those fall under the domain of the federal government and not under OGRA’s jurisdiction,” the spokesperson explained.
This clarification underlines the distinction between regulatory functions and policy-making responsibilities, a difference that often creates misunderstanding within the industry. While OGRA has the mandate to ensure compliance, fair play, and protection of consumer interests, broader matters like pricing policies, taxation regimes, and structural reforms lie with the federal government.
Ali, however, has urged both the regulator and the government to work in harmony, stressing that a disjointed approach leads to delays and confusion that directly impact market stability.
Industry stakeholders and observers believe the petroleum sector’s challenges mirror the broader governance and policy coordination issues facing the economy. Unless there is a concerted effort, OMCs fear that not only their operational capacity but also the reliability of fuel supplies could be compromised. With the stakes so high, the industry’s call for immediate attention from policymakers is likely to gain momentum in the days to come, they added.
One of Britain’s most prolific rail fare dodgers could face jail after admitting dozens of travel offences.
Charles Brohiri, 29, pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket a total of 112 times over a two-year period, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He could be ordered to pay more than £18,000 in unpaid fares and legal costs, the court was told.
He will be sentenced next month.
District Judge Nina Tempia warned Brohiri “could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed”.
He pleaded guilty to 76 offences on Thursday.
It came after he was convicted in his absence of 36 charges at a previous hearing.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Tempia dismissed a bid by Brohiri’s lawyers to have the 36 convictions overturned.
They had argued the prosecutions were unlawful because they had not been brought by a qualified legal professional.
But Judge Tempia rejected the argument, saying there had been “no abuse of this court’s process”.
JSW Jetour T2 Launch: JSW Motors Limited, the passenger vehicle arm of the JSW Group, is reportedly preparing to enter the Indian car market this year. It has partnered with Jetour, a China-based automotive brand owned by Chery Automobile, and the Jetour T2 SUV could be the company’s first product, according to the reports.
Media reports suggest that the launch will happen independently and not under the JSW MG Motor India joint venture. The SUV will wear a JSW badge and name, instead of the Jetour branding. The upcoming SUV will be assembled at JSW’s upcoming greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra.
According to the reports, the company plans to have the vehicle on sale by the third quarter of this year. With this move, JSW aims to establish itself as a standalone carmaker in India.
Expected Powertrain
The SUV is likely to arrive with a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid setup. Internationally, this hybrid powertrain is offered with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. It is still unclear which version will be introduced in India.
Design
In terms of design, the T2 is a large and rugged-looking SUV. It has a boxy and upright stance, similar to vehicles like the Land Rover Defender. Despite its tough appearance, it uses a monocoque chassis instead of a ladder-frame construction.
Size
The SUV measures around 4.7 metres in length and nearly 2 metres in width. This makes it larger than the Tata Safari, even though it is a five-seater. A longer 7-seat version is also sold in some markets.
Price
Pricing details for India are yet to be announced. For reference, the front-wheel-drive five-seat T2 i-DM is priced at AED 1,44,000 (around Rs 35 lakh) in the UAE.
Jetour
Jetour is a brand owned by Chinese automaker Chery. Launched in 2018, it focuses mainly on SUVs and is present in markets across China, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
John Swinney has been pressed over whether this week’s Scottish Budget gives some workers the “smallest tax cut in history” – with Tory leader Russell Findlay branding the reduction “miserly” and “insulting”.
The Scottish Conservative leader challenged the First Minister after Tuesday’s Holyrood Budget effectively cut taxes for lower earners, by increasing the threshold for the basic and intermediate bands of income tax.
But Mr Findlay said that would leave workers at most £31.75 a year better off – saying this amounts to a saving of just £61p a week
“That wouldn’t even buy you a bag of peanuts,” the Scottish Tory leader said.
“John Swinney’s Budget might even have broken a world record, because a Scottish Government tax adviser says it ‘maybe the smallest tax cut in history’.”
Raising the “miserly cut” at First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Findlay demanded to know if the SNP leader believed his “insulting tax cut will actually help Scotland’s struggling households”.
The attack came as the Tory accused the SNP government of increasing taxes on higher earners, with its freeze on higher income tax thresholds, which will pull more Scots into these brackets.
This is needed to pay for the “SNP’s out of control, unaffordable benefits bill”, the Conservative added.
Mr Findlay said: “The Scottish Conservatives will not back and cannot back a Budget that does nothing to help Scotland’s workers and businesses.
“It hammers people with higher taxes to fund a bloated benefits system.”
Hitting out at Labour – whose leader Anas Sarwar has already declared they will not block the government’s Budget – Mr Findlay said: “It is absolutely mind-blowing that Labour and other so-called opposition parties will let this SNP boorach of a budget pass.
“Don’t the people of Scotland deserve lower taxes, fairer benefits and a government focused on economic growth?”
Mr Swinney said the Budget “delivers on the priorities of the people of Scotland” by “strengthening our National Health Service and supporting people and businesses with the challenges of the cost of living”.
He insisted income tax decisions in the Budget would mean that in 2026-27 “55% of Scottish taxpayers are now expected to pay less income tax than if they lived in England”.
The First Minister went on to say that showed “the people of Scotland have a Government that is on their side”.
Referring to polls putting his party on course to win the Holyrood elections in May, the SNP leader added that “all the current indications show the people of Scotland want to have this Government here for the long term”.
Benefits funding is “keeping children out of poverty”, he told MSPs, adding the Budget contained a “range of measures” that would build on existing support.
The First Minister said: “What that is a demonstration of is a Government that is on the side of the people of Scotland and I am proud of the measures we set out in the Budget on Tuesday.”
Meanwhile he said the Tories wanted to make tax cuts that would cost £1 billion, with “not a scrap of detail about how that would be delivered”.
With the weekly leaders’ question time clash coming less than 48 hours after the draft 2026-27 Budget was unveiled, the First Minister also faced questions from Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar, who insisted that the proposals “lacks ambition for Scotland”.
Pressing his SNP rival, the Scottish Labour leader said: “While he brags about his £6 a year tax cut for the lowest paid, one million Scots including nurses, teachers and police officers face being forced to pay more.
“Even his own tax adviser says this is a political stunt. So why does John Swinney believe that someone earning £33,500 has the broadest shoulders and therefore should pay more tax in Scotland?”
Mr Swinney, however, said that many public sector workers would be better off in Scotland.
He told the Scottish Labour leader: “A band six nurse at the bottom of the scale will take home an additional £1,994 after tax compared to the same band in England.
“A qualified teacher at the bottom of the band will take home £6,365 more after tax in Scotland than the equivalent in England. There are the facts for Mr Sarwar.”
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