The federal government has collected a total of Rs. 371 billion in Petrol Taxes during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. This marks a significant 42 percent increase compared to Rs. 261 billion collected during the same period last year.
Officials attributed the higher collection of Petrol Taxes to both higher international fuel prices and the government’s efforts to meet revenue targets set under the IMF program. The documents also reveal that Pakistan achieved a budget surplus of 1.6 percent of GDP during the first quarter (July–September), while the primary balance stood at 2.7 percent of GDP.
Government revenues for the period reached Rs. 6,200 billion, while total expenditures were recorded at Rs. 4,080 billion. Interest payments on domestic and foreign loans amounted to Rs. 1,377 billion, and defense spending was reported at Rs. 447 billion.
The government also collected Rs. 10 billion through the carbon levy and Rs. 3 billion under the electric vehicle (EV) adoption levy. Pension payments during the quarter reached Rs. 249 billion, while civil government expenses stood at Rs. 161 billion and subsidies totaled Rs. 119 billion.
The State Bank of Pakistan reported profits of Rs. 2,428 billion, which helped strengthen the country’s fiscal position. In addition, Rs. 1,775 billion was transferred to provincial governments under the NFC Award. Punjab received Rs. 882 billion, Sindh Rs. 441 billion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs. 287 billion, and Balochistan Rs. 164 billion.
All four provinces posted budget surpluses, contributing positively to the national fiscal outlook. Punjab recorded a surplus of Rs. 441 billion, followed by Sindh with Rs. 208 billion, KP with Rs. 77 billion, and Balochistan with Rs. 53 billion.
In other related news also read Petrol and Diesel Prices Set to Rise in Pakistan
Analysts believe the strong collection of Petrol Taxes has helped stabilize short-term finances. However, they caution that reliance on fuel-based levies may increase inflationary pressure on consumers.
