LAHORE: Chief of the Energy Training and Research Centre (ETRC) and the renowned solar trainer Eng Faiz Bhutta has warned that a lot of business concerns of the Solar Sector would be closed down if the restrictions on import of solar equipment are not lifted. It was stated by him while addressing the inaugural session of a 60-day free course on Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system held in collaboration with a Chinese Company Longi Solar.

Eng Bhutta said that Pakistan, in the prevailing energy crisis, direly needed to promote the alternate energy generation systems and Solar is on the top of this, which is speedily being adopted by the consumers themselves. But, he lamented that the government’s support to this sector was still missing. Unavailability of a consistent and conducive policy for the Solar Energy had been a big problem for the sector to grow smoothly, he said and informed that under the current policy, government had conditioned the import of solar equipment with prior approval, under which the solar companies have to apply in advance for import of the required equipment and have to wait for a very long time. By the time approval is received, cost of the equipment is increased making the project unviable, he added.

Eng Bhutta further informed that recently the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had waived the tax on import of solar equipment that was also acknowledged by the finance minister but the sector came to know through a notification dated 30th June that only solar panels were exempted from the import duty and the duty on import of invertors was sustained. However, on our appeal the energy ministry has allowed the duty free import of invertors on prior approval and now the State Bank has stopped implementation of this permission, he added. Eng. Bhutta observed that a huge number of business houses dealing in the Solar Sector would be closed depriving thousands of the workers jobs in case a favourable persistent policy is not enforced for the sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022