Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a Tamgha for IT Minister Shaza Fatima on March 23 for her role in implementing the government’s petrol subsidy scheme, while hosting an afternoon tea for ministers and officials involved in the initiative.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz described the scheme as a risky undertaking that faced numerous challenges but said joint efforts by the federal and provincial governments had helped it reach more than 10 million registered citizens.
The scheme provides a monthly subsidy of Rs. 2,000 to eligible owners of motorcycles, Qingqi motorcycles, rickshaws, and vehicles with engines of up to 800cc. The government has allocated Rs. 75 billion for the initiative, which the prime minister said would continue.
Shehbaz praised the federal and provincial authorities for implementing the scheme through a digital process. He also thanked the Petroleum Division, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), State Bank of Pakistan, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and telecom operators for their contributions.
More than 10.85 million citizens had registered under the scheme, while vouchers had been issued to nearly 10.20 million people. A total of 27 million tokens had been issued, and subsidized petrol had been purchased using 19.4 million tokens.
Around 9.28 million citizens had used the facility for a second time. Shehbaz also claimed that nearly 96 percent of motorcycle riders had benefited from the scheme.
The prime minister compared the results with an earlier initiative launched in February, when 1.3 million tokens were issued at its peak. He credited cooperation between the federation and the provinces for the expanded reach of the current program.
Besides announcing the Tamgha for Shaza Fatima, Shehbaz said officials from other departments would receive shields in recognition of their work.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani were among those acknowledged for their roles in the scheme.
The prime minister also thanked provincial chief ministers and their teams for providing administrative and financial support.
The post Shaza to Receive Tamgha for Petrol Scheme Instead of Petroleum Minister appeared first on ProPakistani.