ISLAMABAD: The government has reduced petrol and high-speed diesel prices for the latest pricing period, bringing petrol to Rs387.40 per litre and HSD to Rs400.35 per litre from October 1.
Petrol has been cut by Re0.14 per litre from its previous price of Rs387.54. High-speed diesel has received a larger reduction of Rs1.89 per litre, falling from Rs402.24 to Rs400.35.
The revised rates were announced for implementation from October 1 following the government’s regular review of petroleum product prices.
The change means the reduction for petrol is marginal, while the adjustment in high-speed diesel is more noticeable in absolute terms.
Petrol is widely used by motorcycles, cars and other light vehicles, making changes in its price directly relevant to household transport costs.
High-speed diesel has a broader role in commercial transport, agriculture and freight. Changes in diesel prices can therefore feed into operating costs for trucks, buses, farm machinery and other diesel-dependent activity.
A Rs1.89 reduction in HSD represents a relatively small change compared with the overall price of Rs400.35 per litre, but diesel pricing is closely watched because of its wider role in the movement of goods.
Pakistan reviews petroleum prices periodically using factors that include international oil and refined-product prices, the exchange rate, taxes, levies and other pricing components. The final retail price is therefore not determined solely by movements in global crude oil benchmarks.
For motorists, the new notified rates are straightforward: Rs387.40 per litre for petrol and Rs400.35 per litre for high-speed diesel.
The previous prices were Rs387.54 and Rs402.24 respectively, meaning petrol is cheaper by Re0.14 and HSD by Rs1.89 per litre.
The latest adjustment does not represent a large reduction in fuel costs, particularly for petrol, but it reverses the direction of the retail price for both products covered by the announcement.
The revised prices took effect on October 1 and remain the applicable notified rates until the next government pricing decision or any intervening adjustment.