The federal government on Thursday announced it would keep the price of petroleum products unchanged for the next fortnight, ending on January 31.
In a notification, the Petroleum Division said prices of petrol and high-speed diesel would remain unchanged at Rs253.17 and Rs257.08 per litre, respectively, until end-January.
In the previous fortnight review, the government had slashed the rate of petrol by Rs10.28 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs8.57.
Petrol is mainly used by commuters in small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers. Higher fuel prices significantly impact the budgets of middle and lower-middle class households, who rely on petrol for daily travel.
On the other hand, a significant portion of the transport sector relies on high-speed diesel.
Its price is considered inflationary since it is predominantly used in heavy goods transport vehicles, trucks, buses, trains, and agricultural machinery such as tractors, tube wells, and threshers.
The consumption of high-speed diesel particularly contributes to the increased prices of vegetables and other food items.
