The government has reduced the deemed duty on oil from 10% to 7.5% when it should have been abolished. The country's oil refineries namely National Oil Refinery, Pakistan Refinery, Pak Arab Refinery, Attock Refinery and Boicar Refinery were allowed this concession for one year but it has continued for seven long years. The refineries have made over Rs 200 billions, which they have, apparently, not invested in improvement of infrastructure or petroleum products to compete internationally. Finance Minister Naveed Qamar has, as yet, not given details of the new formula with which one could ascertain the exact cost of processing of crude oil by local refineries. What are their margins of profits in producing petrol, diesel, and kerosene oil? The oil marketing companies purchase petroleum products from these refineries to sell through petrol stations, which are owned by dealers who have fixed commission. In case of oil marketing companies directly importing petroleum products to meet the demand, what price are they paying to import these products and what duties and sales tax they are paying to the government has to be told to the public. We also have to know what taxes government is collecting from the refineries and oil marketing companies from their income? -ENGR S.T. HUSSAIN, Lahore Cantt, via e-mail, August 1.