Petrol and diesel cheaper than ten days ago; levy talks go on

Fuel is the price most households notice first, and khabr.pk's recorded figures show it lower than a week or so ago. Petrol was Rs346 a litre on 7 November. On 28 October it was Rs377.91, a fall of Rs31.91 a litre.

High-speed diesel, which matters for goods transport and farm machinery, was Rs378 a litre on 7 November. On 30 October it was Rs402.96, a fall of Rs24.96 a litre. The two comparisons start on different dates, so they should not be set side by side exactly.

What does this mean for a monthly bill? The figures give the price per litre but not how much fuel a household or business uses. A family that buys a given number of litres a month can multiply that number by Rs31.91 to see the change in petrol spending. khabr.pk has not calculated a monthly total because it has no usage figure.

The dollar rate is also on many readers' minds, but khabr.pk's figures for this week do not include a comparison for it, so this piece does not report one.

One open question is the petroleum levy. khabr.pk reported on 10 November that the government and a Jamaat-e-Islami subcommittee held what was billed as the final round of talks on it, the tenth after nine earlier rounds. Jamaat-e-Islami deputy amir Liaqat Baloch said both sides agreed to give the public relief. He also demanded that the levy be abolished immediately and wider relief be given. No decision or amount had been reported.

On electricity, khabr.pk reported on 10 November that the government plans smart meters on the transformers of all power distribution companies. Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema said the aim is to curb electricity theft and overbilling. Funding is being arranged through the Economic Affairs Division, and the project is to continue after the companies are privatised. Privatised companies remain bound by NEPRA regulations. No date for installation was given.