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Finance ministry not responsible for petroleum crisis: Dar
APP
ISLAMABAD – Categorically rejecting the misleading journalist reports, Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar on Monday said that the Ministry of Finance was not responsible for prevailing petroleum crisis in Pakistan.
To questions during a press conference here, the minister said that the Finance Ministry neither involves in sales or purchase of petroleum products nor is it responsible for providing finances for it. He said that Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has categorically stated that the Finance Ministry was not responsible for the crisis as it is neither purchasing nor selling the product.
He said that the government has launched inquiry into the matter to fix responsibility adding that action would be taken against responsible. However, he admitted that there has been mismanagement on the part of the government, adding the petroleum minister was leading an investigation to determine who is behind the crisis.
Dar said that the companies which were bound to maintain strategic stocks did not kept reserves, so the issue needs to be investigated. The minister clarified that his ministry did not owe even a single penny to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) nor did it receive any report from PSO about the situation of petrol in Pakistan.
He said that PSO has its own receivables adding that some vested interests were working behind, otherwise there is no fact in the reports involving Finance Ministry in the matter. He said that his ministry was not responsible for supervision of all the ministries and divisions, so responsibility should be fixed and action taken against the responsible.
To another question, the minister said that his ministry does not receive any report about petroleum stocks as it is not its business, however it receives petroleum claims that are related to electricity tariff adjustments upto 200 units of electricity as decided by the government for providing relief to the poor.
He also said the ministry was also providing funds on priority basis to the ministry of water and power, adding it released Rs.10 billion on Monday which were requested by the ministry only the previous day. To a question about circular debt, the minister said that the government could not afford to pay off circular debts every year and cut the development expenditures.
To yet another question about negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he said that government would accommodate all their realistic demands.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk