Finmin aims to make substantial savings in oil subsidy payouts

Alarmed by the R1.7-lakh-crore oil subsidy demand for this fiscal, the finance ministry has decided to revisit a suggestion made by expert committees in the past: Work out the subsidy entitlement of oil marketing companies (OMCs) according to 100% export-parity pricing of petroleum products. Under this system, the refinery-gate price of products — petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene — due to OMCs will be arrived at as an average of export (FOB) prices of these product in select markets. The difference between the price realised by OMCs — they sell below cost in the subsidy regime — and the export price determined will be the “under-recoveries”, compensated through subsidy.