The government has formally launched a nationwide digital system to monitor petroleum sales across more than 12,000 petrol pumps in the country, marking a significant step in efforts to strengthen transparency and regulatory oversight across Pakistan’s fuel supply chain. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), in collaboration with the Punjab Information Technology Board, introduced a digital track-and-trace system for petroleum products, with the platform enabling monitoring across imports, production, storage, and retail distribution, while providing real-time connectivity across refineries, depots, and retail outlets to track fuel movement nationwide. The initiative comes at a time of heightened concern over fuel availability, with global oil markets having been disrupted by regional tensions that pushed prices sharply higher in recent months.
The digital platform connects refineries, storage depots, and retail outlets in real time, allowing for better monitoring of imports, exports, production, stocks, and sales. OGRA Chairman Shahzad Iqbal highlighted that the initiative will significantly improve transparency, allowing the regulator to see stock levels across the country at a glance and making it much harder for supply chains to be manipulated. To support the rollout at the retail level, mobile devices estimated to cost around Rs. 36,000 each will be deployed at petrol stations to enable real-time digital monitoring of fuel sales, with costs borne by oil marketing companies, while the National Information Technology Board will handle procurement and distribution after payments are processed through OGRA. Only mobile phones approved by both NITB and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will be used under the system.
Despite the system being in place, authorities have acknowledged that full compliance is yet to be achieved. The Cabinet Committee on Petroleum Prices, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, noted that reporting from over 12,000 petrol pumps remains below expectations and called for full operationalization of the system. To reinforce compliance, joint teams from the Petroleum Division, OGRA, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) are being stationed at selected PSO pumps in Islamabad to ensure timely data entry, improve stock transparency, and enforce operational standards. OGRA has been directed to ensure strict compliance with data reporting requirements and to maintain close coordination with oil marketing companies across the board.
The digital monitoring drive is part of a wider government push to modernize the downstream petroleum sector and close long-standing gaps in reporting and accountability. The planned installation of automatic tank gauges and digital dispensing units at petrol pumps reflects a strong commitment to strengthening transparency and accountability in the downstream sector, with these measures intended to ensure accurate reporting of fuel volumes, minimize leakages, and reinforce regulatory oversight across the retail network. Separately, a fuel management application is already in the final stages of testing, through which consumers including motorcyclists and three-wheeler owners will be able to access their fuel quota via digital vouchers or QR codes, with eligible motorcycles expected to receive between 20 and 30 litres per month under a quota system designed to prevent misuse. Together, these measures signal a decisive shift toward data-driven governance of Pakistan’s fuel sector.
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