KARACHI, May 26: While the local petrol price has jumped four times, since March from Rs53 to Rs68.81 per litre, the country exported 12,008 tons of petrol to Afghanistan, Albania and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), fetching Rs662 million during July-Feb 2007-08.

Out of total exports, the UAE was the main buyer of petrol with 6,000 tons, resulting in foreign exchange income of Rs376 million, followed by Afghanistan with an intake of 5,968 tons worth Rs283 million and Albania paying Rs2.4 million for a paltry shipment of 40 tons. In 2006-07, the country exported 38,654 tons of petrol worth Rs1.6 billion with the UAE share of 30,644 tons (Rs1.2 billion), Kabul 8,007 tons (Rs372 million) and the United Kingdom three tons

(Rs129,000).

Figures obtained from the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) revealed that in July-June 2005-06 Afghanistan was the only buyer of local petrol with 3,940 tons valuing at Rs160 million.

According to figures compiled by Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC), the country also exported 7,500 tons of petrol in March and 10,500 tons in April this year but it did not mention the destinations and the resultant foreign exchange earnings.

According to FBS, the country imported 58,419 tons of petrol from five countries at a cost of Rs5.85 billion in July-Feb 2007-08. Out of these the highest imports were recorded from Sudan at 35,289 tons (Rs1.96 billion), followed by 19,148 tons (Rs3.6 billion) from UAE), 1,975 tons (Rs111 million) from the Netherlands, 1,426 tons (Rs64 million) from Singapore and 581 tons (Rs23 million) from Kuwait.

There is big disparity in the figures of export and import provided by the FBS and OCAC. For example, the OCAC has been quoting import figures on its website on monthly basis since July 2004.

Accordingly, the petrol was imported in October (22,041 tons), November (39,287 tons) and December (51,697 tons) in 2007, showing a total of 113,025 tons.

While the FBS figures mentioned petrol import of 58,419 tons in July-Feb 2007-08, while as per FBS figures, there have been no petrol imports in 2006-07 and 2005-06.

If petrol export figures of FBS and OCAC are compared then exports from July-June 2005-06 till July-Feb 2007-08 stood at 54,602 tons as per OCAC figures. However, according to FBS statistics it stood at 93,286 tons in the same period. An official in the OCAC, who asked not to be named, said that the committee’s figures were authentic as these were based on the feedback given by the oil marketing companies (OMCs) and the refineries. He said Pak Arab Refinery Limited (Parco) exports petrol, while the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) imports through global tenders. These imports are also shared by the Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) and Caltex Pakistan. The FBS official said that the bureau obtained figures from the Customs.

Parco had exported 300,000 tons of petrol in 2001-02 and earned $75 million at a price then ranging between $235 and $260 per ton.

The government is pocketing Rs8.98 per litre as sales tax and 80 paisa per litre as petroleum development levy (PDL).

The average export price of petrol during July-Feb 2007-08 comes to Rs41 per litre or Rs55,129 per ton, compared to Rs42,233 per ton or Rs31.28 per litre in July-June 2006-07.

In July-June 2005-06, the average export price was Rs40,616 per ton or Rs30 per litre.