The federal government has no plans to introduce different prices for petroleum products based on consumer categories. Contrary to recent speculation, officials have confirmed that the Finance Bill 2025-26 contains no proposal to charge varying rates for petrol or other petroleum products depending on whether consumers pay by cash or card.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is not considering any such move. “So far, no such proposal is part of the Finance Bill 2025-26,” a senior government official stated, emphasizing that the current system mandates a single, uniform price for all consumers.
Officials clarified that, by law, the federal government sets a single price for petroleum products such as petrol, which applies equally to everyone. “It is not legally possible to charge a different price for a consumer using a debit or credit card and another paying cash,” they explained.
Responding to questions about why different sales tax rates are applied in Islamabad-based restaurants or why withholding tax is charged on cash withdrawals, officials noted that these are separate matters governed by different regulations. In the case of petroleum products, the price is fixed by the federal government and cannot be varied for different consumers.
