Govt earns Rs13 billion per month

ISLAMABAD - The government is earning Rs 13 billion monthly by levying sales tax on petroleum products, compelling consumers, irrespective of their social status, to pay 16 per cent more than the actual price.
An official of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the national regulatory body, said in a press conference that the government was giving a monthly gross subsidy of Rs 30 billion on petroleum products.
He said at the same time it was collecting Rs 13 billion per month in taxes on petrol, HOBC, kerosene oil, light diesel and high-speed diesel. Thus, the government was providing a net subsidy of Rs 17 billion, he added.  
According to official statistics, after the recent increase, the actual petrol price before tax is Rs 74.71 per litre and with Rs 11.95 sales tax, the consumer is paying Rs 86.66 per litre. A consumer of HOBC is paying a tax of Rs 13.25 on each litre, bringing its price to Rs 96.08 from Rs 82.83. One litre kerosene oil, a poor man’s consuming product, is carrying Rs 8.05 tax, pushing its price to Rs 58.37 from Rs 50.32 per litre. The figures show the government is charging Rs 7.79 tax on light diesel and Rs 8.92 on high-speed diesel.
The ‘pro-poor’ government did not levy Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in the federal budget on stock market while surrendering to the billionaires, which could fetch billions of rupees. At the same time it is not ready to withdraw sales tax on kerosene oil, which is purely used by poor households.  
The official said despite recent increase in the prices of the petroleum products, the government was providing a subsidy of Rs 33.93 per litre on kerosene oil, Rs 35.42 on diesel and Rs 29.4 per litre subsidy on light diesel.