The government of Pakistan is moving forward with a nationwide digital fuel management system that will fundamentally change how citizens purchase petrol at filling stations across the country. The initiative will introduce a vehicle-wise fuel quota framework, enforced through a dedicated mobile application developed by the Pakistan Digital Authority, ensuring that individuals cannot purchase fuel beyond their assigned limits. According to officials, the system is designed to bring greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency to fuel distribution at a time when the country is managing significant pressure on its petroleum supply chain.
The operational backbone of the system involves the installation of mobile phones at petrol pumps nationwide, through which fuel dispensing will be controlled and monitored in real time. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has already completed the testing phase for the devices, and the National Information Technology Board has approved the smartphones that oil marketing companies will use under the system. Both the National Information Technology Board and PTA have established clear standards governing which devices are eligible for use, with only approved handsets permitted to operate within the framework. The mobile application developed for fuel management has similarly completed its testing phase, and the Ministry of Information Technology has shared the full project details with the Cabinet Division. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has been directed to instruct oil marketing companies to begin procuring the devices to ensure a timely and orderly rollout across filling stations.
The government has fixed the price of each device at approximately Rs. 36,000, with the Xiaomi Redmi 15C identified as the selected handset for deployment at petrol pumps. Oil marketing companies will bear the cost of the devices, while the National Information Technology Board will manage the procurement process. Following payment, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority will distribute the devices to the respective companies, which will then supply them to individual fuel stations. The National Information Technology Board conducted a thorough evaluation process before arriving at the final selection, verifying device quality and performance and inviting expressions of interest from suppliers before settling on the agreed price. The federal government will announce the specific fuel quotas applicable to private vehicles once the system is ready for nationwide enforcement, with the Pakistan Digital Authority’s application serving as the mechanism through which those quotas are tracked and enforced at the point of sale.
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