The current government of PPP has continued its one tradition of dropping bombs on the first day of every month. On 1st January, 2010 the government enhanced the gas and electricity prices and on the 1st February, 2010 the government increased the petroleum prices by a whooping Rs 6.1 per litre for Super Petrol i.e. an increase of 9.37% and for High Speed diesel the price has raised to Rs 71.89 per litre from Rs 68.56 per litre an increase of 4.86%.
The increase in the petroleum prices will have an extremely negative impact on the masses especially after the electricity and gas prices had been raised a month back. The country’s economy is already shrinking and the growth has been shadowed by the political instability and now such absurd increase in the petroleum prices will seriously hamper the industrial and domestic structure of the country.
It seems that the government has only come with one motive and that is to destroy the lower, middle-lower and middle class. This is not only going to result in an increase in prices of the other related products and services but will also pressurize a common man’s pocket. In these struggling times the government attitude of indifference is really not going to help anyone’s cause.
In the history of Pakistan such inflation and high prices have never been witnessed before. The common man is already finding it hard to make the both ends meet but I guess the government is too busy in shouting about ‘Conspiracies’ being hatched against them; the President is too busy in conquering Punjab and the Prime Minister is head over heels in defending the President. There is not a single person who is working for the cause of the masses.
In recent weeks rupee has further weekend to dollar in the international currency market. This will certainly increase the price of the imported items and it seems that there is going to be no relief in the tyranny of the common man in the months to come. With V.A.T’s (value added tax) draft being sent to be finalized and to be applied along with G.S.T (general sales tax) it seems the burden on the masses will grow thousand-folds.
It just surprises me that Chambers of Commerce, across the country, are dumbfounded; there has not been a single strike to halt the government and to make the government realize that they are brutally massacring the masses. Over the past so many decades this nation has given and only given to the politicians and all they have done is made money on the expense of this poor nation. How can we fill the government’s accounts when the government is relentlessly spending money on barren projects like Rental Power!
According to sources the government will now earn Re 1 per liter additional GST and the profit margins of the oil marketing companies will increase by 0.5%.
The recent change in prices have been due to the new formula inculcated by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) which directly passes the burden to the masses in case a price fluctuates in the international market. Much to my dislike only the increase in the petroleum prices are forwarded whereas any decrease in the prices of oil in the international market is hardly enjoyed by people in Pakistan. At current the prices of petroleum products in India are comparatively lower than the prevailing prices in Pakistan.
With the monetary policy maintaining the interest rate at 12.5 percent and a sharp increase in the gas and electric prices and now this increase in petroleum prices will not only further escalate the inflation but will act as a stringer missile that will tear the gateways to poverty in the county. I wonder whether our country’s incompetent economic managers and so-called financial wizards ever think of the impacts that their decision will make on the masses! Sigh Burden the masses!
You can also read Burden the Masses Part I and Part II written previously.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Majority of the politicians in Pakistan enter the field of politics not for the people, but instead for their own self interest, and to elevate their status in the social sphere. For those who do enter to truly help the people are either discouraged by the corruption of the system or are never able to rise up enough to make serious difference. Now we cant only blame these politicians, one has to remember that the Pakistani people themselves have supported these corrupt politicians over the decades and look where this country is today. For as long as the people do not abandon, and shun corrupt practices Pakistan will be ending with the same type of corrupt politicians.
The Pakistani people could resort to a petrol ban and try to increase higher efficiency practices to decrease the demand of petroleum and force the gas and oil companies to lower the prices just like the way the people in United States did, though did not go far enough in my opinion.
An increased focus on other sources of energy at small scale in the private industries could also help.
It all really comes down to the fact that most of the foreign companies are afraid to invest in Pakistan due to uncertainty caused by instability of politics and very corrupt government practices. Pakistan must regain trust, Pakistan is a prime place for investment in the energy sector especially solar and wind power, but as long as their is not enough protection for investments in Pakistan this is rather impossible. Pakistan has a great market in these investments, as we all know the government isn’t going to investment (and even if it does there isn’t much hope for any sort of maximized output).
Once again I reitirate my point it is the people of Pakistan that need to realize that they as people make the government and if the government does not represent them then they must come together as one whether they are Shite or Sunni, Muslim, Christians or Sikh, and make the necessary change for a better Pakistan.