Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Monday constituted a high-level committee to address the concerns of the Oil Tanker Contractors Association (OTCA), directing it to submit recommendations within one week.

The decision was taken during a meeting with an OTCA delegation led by its President Abidullah Afridi, where both sides agreed to work jointly to resolve issues facing the oil tanker industry.

According to a statement issued by the Petroleum Division, the committee will be headed by the Special Secretary Petroleum and include the Director General (Oil), representatives of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the OTCA, and the Secretary General of the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC).

The OTCA raised several demands, including reducing the quota allocated to the White Oil Pipeline, introducing a transparent mechanism for awarding freight contracts by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), linking the freight formula with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and immediately ending commercial loading.

The minister directed OGRA to engage with stakeholders to resolve the contractors’ genuine concerns and asked OMCs to submit their written freight contract award policies to identify and eliminate any discriminatory practices.

He also instructed the regulator to ensure effective tracking of oil tankers and prevent dealers’ vehicles from being used in primary transportation.

Malik said the government’s priority was to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies and facilitate the public, adding that all stakeholders should work together in the national interest. He assured the delegation that their legitimate concerns would be addressed through consultation.

The OTCA welcomed the formation of the committee and expressed confidence that the outstanding issues would be resolved through dialogue.