Ministry cancels crude imports from 1 April

Sher Afzal

KARACHI: The Ministry of Energy has cancelled crude oil imports with effect from 1 April 2020 to support Pakistan’s domestic refining industry through an official order. The MoE also defined all of the nation’s refiners as an essential service in the midst of the current lockdown. The order guarantees free movement of the industry’s employees, vendors, and contractors to ensure that Pakistan’s refining industry can provide a continuous supply of petroleum products at all petrol pumps across the country.

Oil Refining Companies like PRL, NRL, ARL, Byco, and Parco have been deemed essential services by The Ministry of Energy (MoE), Petroleum Division through a recent order. The Refining Industry lauds the MoE’s steps to direct law enforcement agencies to facilitate the unhindered movement of refineries/ OMCs including their subcontractors, personnel and vehicles so that an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products in the country may be maintained.

Keeping in view the public interest in the current lockdown situation, the domestic refining industry has a sufficient stockpile of petroleum products to meet Pakistan’s fuel demand, and continues an uninterrupted supply to meet the nation’s energy needs in the wake of the recent crisis situation as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Domestic refining industry stands tall with Pakistan in showing resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and will emerge stronger as Pakistan eventually recovers from this crisis.