ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power, Sardar Owais Ahmed Khan Leghari, has affirmed that the current government has no plans to impose taxes on imported solar panels, as part of its strategy to boost the renewable energy sector.
“Despite several proposals to tax solar panel imports, the Prime Minister outrightly rejected them. Our policy is to support, not hinder, the growth of solar energy by keeping imports tax-free,” Leghari stated.
These comments were shared by the minister in a video message posted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday. In the video, Leghari addressed the challenges facing the nation’s complex power sector and outlined the government’s strategies to address them.
Highlighting the shift to solar energy, Leghari noted that due to high energy prices, many agricultural tube wells have transitioned to solar power. “We remain hopeful that as electricity prices decrease, these wells will revert to the national grid,” he added.
The Energy Minister also mentioned that the government is currently purchasing expensive electricity from 125,000 net-metering consumers. “However, we are committed to offering this incentive to further encourage the growth of the solar energy sector,” he said.
Last month, the federal government announced an increase in electricity prices of up to Rs7.12 per unit for domestic consumers, raising the base tariff from Rs29.78/KWh for FY24 to Rs35.50/KWh for FY25, in line with the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently unveiled a Rs50-billion energy subsidy package for low-income households consuming up to 200 units, effective from July to September 2024. However, experts have cautioned that this measure may not be sufficient, warning that growing public discontent could potentially lead to civil unrest.
