‘Limits on solar imports harmful’

LAHORE: Energy Training and Research Center (ETRC) Chief and Solar Trainer 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 was not lifted.

Addressing the inaugural session of a 60-day free course on solar photovoltaic (PV) system on Tuesday, he said that Pakistan, in the prevailing energy crisis, direly needed to promote the alternate energy generation systems and Solar was on the top of this, which was speedily being adopted by the consumers themselves.

He lamented that the government’s support to this sector was still missing. Unavailability of a consistent and conducive policy for solar energy had been a big problem for the sector to grow smoothly.

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.

Recently, 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 June 30 that only solar panels were exempted from the import duty. The duty on import of invertors was sustained.