Federal govt’s vehicle fleet fuel bill rises 39% to Rs21.8 billion

Fuel bought for the federal government's official fleet rose 39% to Rs21.8 billion in fiscal year 2024-25, which was Rs6.1 billion more than the year before, according to Profit, which cited The Express Tribune. The increase happened even though a transport monetisation policy was meant to cut state costs tied to official cars for top civil servants. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb provided the figures in answer to MNA Syed Rafiullah, who had asked for five years of estimated and actual fuel spending across ministries and attached bodies.

Fuel spending by the federal government totalled Rs69 billion from FY2021 to FY2025, with Rs16 billion recorded during the PTI government and most of the rest under the Shehbaz Sharif government, including the caretaker period. For FY2025 the allocation was Rs16 billion, yet actual outlays reached Rs21.8 billion. The government has not disclosed comparable fuel figures for FY2025-26, though it reported savings of Rs2.1 billion on petrol and diesel in that year.

The policy, introduced in December 2011 for BS-20 to BS-22 officers, replaced official cars with fixed monthly cash allowances. Aurangzeb told the National Assembly that no audit had specifically examined it. A 2019 review by the Institutional Reforms Cell, headed by Dr Ishrat Hussain, added two paragraphs to improve transparency after cabinet approval, but the Cabinet Division issued no further corrective measures.