Petrol prices

This refers to the news report ‘Rs 15 per liter reduction in diesel, Rs 9 in petrol prices likely’ (December 31). One does not understand why are we encouraging private vehicles on roads by decreasing petrol price? The increasing number of cars is inflating fuel consumption and its import. Reducing the price of diesel is a right strategy to incentivise public transport. More public transport within the city and long haul carriage of passengers and goods by railways result in lesser vehicles on roads. It would curtail the oil import bill accounting for nearly 25 percent of our total imports and is steadily rising each year despite low economic activity.

It seems that our economic planners lack sense of proportion and long-term vision in nation building. The finance minister is depending on the bureaucrats of the past regimes for guidance rather than pursuing an independent agenda for deep reforms.

Huma Arif

Karachi