Overcharging consumers during petrol crisis: Ogra imposes fine of Rs 10.7 million on 12 OMCs

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has imposed a fine of Rs 10.7 million on 12 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for overcharging the consumers during petrol crisis of January 2015. The Ogra on January 15, 2015 while taking serious notices of the petrol shortage which crippled upper parts of the country for almost two weeks, issued show-cause notices to OMCs which according to law were bound to keep at least 20 days stocks of the commodity.
The authority took up the notices of the overcharging by OMCs and petrol pump owners. According to the Ogra officials, overcharging of Rs 1 to Rs 8 per litre was observed in the petrol and diesel prices during the crisis. The regulator found 75 petrol pumps belonging to 12 OMCs were involved in overcharging during the same period. Twelve companies were found involved in overcharging including Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Total Parco and Attock Petroleum, Hescol, Shell, Baiko, Bakri and others. The Ogra while terming OMCs' replies unsatisfactory in response to the show-cause notices directed all the companies to pay their fines by August 27.