Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry President Muhammad Saleem Memon has expressed deep concern and disappointment over yet another increase in petroleum prices. He stated that repeated hikes in petrol prices within short intervals are causing huge damage to the country’s economy, industrial activity, commercial sector, and the general public. Such decisions are further intensifying economic uncertainty in a country already struggling with inflation, an energy crisis, and mounting business challenges.
He stated that frequent revisions in petroleum prices over the past month have created severe uncertainty for the business community. During July 2026 alone, petrol prices were increased three times and reduced twice. According to these figures, petrol prices increased by a total of Rs. 20.58 per liter, while the cumulative reduction amounted to only Rs. 2.32 per liter. He pointed out that these repeated changes have seriously damaged business planning, increased production costs, raised transportation costs, disrupted supply chains, and negatively affected investment decisions. At the same time, they have directly contributed to rising inflation and further weakened the purchasing power of common citizens.
HCSTSI President Saleem Memon said that the increase in petrol price is not just a matter of fuel becoming expensive, but it affects the entire economic system. Raw material transportation, freight, inter-district and inter-provincial transport, agricultural production, industrial production, construction activities, packaging, distribution, cold chain, warehouse costs and every stage of the supply chain becomes expensive. As a result, the prices of flour, sugar, vegetables, fruits, milk, medicines, construction materials, household items and all other essential products inevitably increase. At the same time,e the income of the common citizen remains the same.
He said that Pakistan’s small industries are already under severe pressure due to electricity and gas shortages, high interest rates, heavy taxes, financial costs, and weak demand. Now the continuous increase in the prices of petroleum products is further increasing the cost of production, due to which local products are losing their competitiveness in the global and regional markets. As a result, there is a fear of a decline in industrial production, a slowdown in investment, a negative impact on exports, and an increase in unemployment. Saleem Memon said that business and industry depend on stability, predictability and consistent policies. When fuel prices change frequently, industrialists cannot set product prices, traders cannot plan future purchases and sales, transporters cannot determine fares, and investors cannot make investment decisions with confidence. This continued uncertainty has severely damaged business confidence.
He emphasized that if the increase in crude oil prices in the global market or the tense situation in the Middle East is the basis for the government’s decisions, then the government should also make it clear with the same transparency why,y when prices decrease in the global market, the full benefit does not reach the public and the business community. Transparency and continuity in policy-making are the basis of trust.
The HCSTSI President said that the government should adopt an economic strategy that promotes industry, trade and exports instead of relying solely on petroleum products for revenue generation. The path to economic stability lies in reducing production costs, adopting business-friendly policies, promoting investment and providing real relief to the people, not the burden of persistent inflation. He called on the federal government to urgently review the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products, reduce petroleum levy and other reviewable taxes, create transparency in the pricing mechanism, and adopt a policy that would provide the business community with a clear picture of costs and prices for at least a reasonable period of time so that the confidence of industry, trade and investment can be restored.
