The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has launched a real-time digital monitoring system for petrol pumps all across Pakistan.
The officials of OGRA said that the major step was taken to enhance transparency in the petrol supply chain and to promote digitalisation in the country.
Under the new system, each petrol station will be required to use two smartphones approved by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). The devices will run a dedicated application that will send regulators real-time information on fuel deliveries, sales and available stocks.
According to media reports, oil marketing companies (OMCs) are responsible for implementing the system at retail fuel stations.
However, petrol pump dealers have raised concerns over the cost of the smartphones, saying they were required to purchase the prescribed devices through OMCs for around Rs72,000 each.
Dealers claim that between 25,000 and 26,000 smartphones have already been distributed, putting the estimated value of the devices at between Rs800 million and Rs900 million.
The dealers have also questioned the legality and transparency of the deductions associated with the purchases. They have called for access to procurement documents and other financial details to determine how the devices were sourced and priced.
The digital monitoring initiative is part of OGRA’s wider Track & Trace system, which is designed to monitor petroleum products from import terminals and refineries through oil depots and tankers to retail petrol stations.
The system will use GPS tracking, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, digital dashboards and mobile applications to monitor fuel movements and inventory levels in real time.
Authorities say the system will help tackle fuel hoarding, smuggling and diversion, while improving stock management and increasing transparency across the petroleum supply chain.
The new measures come as Pakistan seeks to modernise its fuel distribution network and strengthen oversight of petroleum products from their point of entry into the country to their final sale to consumers.
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