The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has invited expressions of interest for the procurement of 24,000 mobile phones to support the rollout of a digital petrol subsidy programme aimed at providing relief to low-income consumers amid the ongoing energy crisis.

Officials said the mobile phones will be used to operate a dedicated subsidy application developed by the ministry, which is currently in the final stages of testing. Only devices approved by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority will be eligible for deployment under the initiative.

According to officials, the National Information Technology Board will determine the pricing of the mobile phones, while oil marketing companies will be responsible for procuring the devices and distributing them to petrol pumps across the country. Around 24,000 phones are expected to be deployed at nearly 12,000 petrol stations, with two dedicated nozzles at each outlet for the supply of subsidised fuel through a digital verification system.

Under the proposed mechanism, eligible users will receive digital vouchers through the mobile application to purchase subsidised petrol. Authorities are considering providing up to 20 litres of subsidised petrol per month to motorcycle owners, although a final decision on extending the facility to cars up to 800cc has yet to be taken. Consumers will not be allowed to exceed their allocated quota.

Officials said the government is examining multiple options to manage the impact of the energy crisis and has also prepared contingency plans in case the situation worsens due to possible regional conflict. Monitoring of petrol pumps across the country has already begun to ensure transparency and smooth implementation of the subsidy programme.