OMCs warned to maintain stock or face consequences
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain has warned oil marketing companies (OMCs) again that their marketing licences will be revoked if they continue to violate and not maintain fuel stocks for 20 days. The minister, while talking to a delegation of oil retailers on Monday, who operate 71 petrol pumps in the Azad Kashmir region, also directed all OMCs to ensure petrol supply on war footing in order to avert further shortage in any part of the country.
Hussain clarified that the petrol shortage arose due to breakdown of a unit of Attock Refinery Limited (ARL), adding that directions had been issued to all oil marketing companies to supply their entire available petrol stocks to the retailers.
Attock Refinery Limited has been directed to repair its damaged unit on urgent basis while Pakistan State Oil, Shell and Chevron have been directed to ensure that they operate their outlets at 100 per cent capacity.
Hussain said that smooth supply of petrol would resume in five to seven days, adding a consignment of 35,000 tons of oil is being shipped from Karachi to upcountry while another 50,000 tons are expected to leave soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2011.
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