2,800 Sindh residents have received motorcycle fuel subsidy: Sharjeel Memon

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon on Tuesday said that since the launch of the People's Motorcycle Fuel Subsidy Programme, 15,000 people have submitted their information to apply for the subsidy. Of these, 2,800 individuals have already received their payments, he added, while speaking at a press conference in Karachi. “Approximately 6.7 million people will receive Rs2,000 per account," he stated. In response to surging petrol prices and the ongoing energy crisis, the Sindh government announced a monthly subsidy of Rs2,000 for registered motorcyclists across the province. Public transport and goods transport operators will also receive monthly subsidies ranging from Rs70,000 to Rs100,000. Memon further announced that the motorcycle transfer fee for owners has been waived. He added that Excise Department offices will remain open daily from 8am to 12pm to assist with the transfer of ownership. Also Read: Sindh govt announces monthly Rs2,000 subsidy for motorcyclists amid rising petrol prices Also addressing the press conference, Sindh Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said, “350,000 motorcycles are already registered in their owners’ names,” highlighting the reach of the ongoing transport registration programme. “There is no registration fee for motorcycles,” he added. Memon also highlighted the provincial support for the transport sector, noting that Sindh remains the only province providing financial assistance to private bus operators alongside public transport. He further discussed the monitoring of transport operators. “Our transport teams have fined operators who increased fares. The Sindh government is providing subsidies to ensure rates do not rise,” he said. Read More: Sindh launches People's Motorcycle Fuel Subsidy Programme Commenting on the federal government's decision to close markets and shopping malls across all provinces except Sindh by 8pm in an effort to conserve energy, Memon said the Sindh government does not want to negatively impact economic activity and is in conversation with all key actors. “The [Sindh] government has not made any final decision. The highest amount of tax is collected from Karachi city. If the traders agree, the government has no problem,” he added. The excise minister also noted that the scale of economic activity dependent on daily wage workers. “Hundreds of thousands of labourers are working in wedding halls and restaurants,” he said. Moreover, Chawla informed that large-scale crackdowns have been carried out in recent days, including operations in Jacobabad and Shikarpur. He said hashish and a vehicle were seized in Shikarpur, while further investigations were conducted with the support of the Pakistan Navy and Sindh Police. “More than 500 kilograms of ice has been seized,” he added. The excise minister further said that in separate operations, alcohol worth between Rs1 billion and Rs2 billion was also recovered. Memon said the operations are part of an ongoing effort to curb drug trafficking and prevent the spread of narcotics, particularly among young people.