Cabinet Decides No New Duty on Solar Panels
Staff Report
The federal cabinet on Tuesday resolved not to impose any new duties on solar panels to ensure widespread access to affordable renewable solar energy.It Will Be Insane To Limit Solar Energy RollOut: Experts
This decision aims to make low-cost solar energy available to all citizens.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting of the federal cabinet here.
There had been reports that government was working to impose duties on solar panels to discourage use of net metering in the country.
The power distribution companies have been lobbying to discourage net metering in the country to ensure its monopoly over electricity market.
They have been buying solar electricity at Rs 22 per unit and then selling to consumers at Rs 64 per unit
The federal cabinet meeting also approved the limited export of sugar following the Sugar Advisory Board’s confirmation of sufficient national reserves.
The Prime Minister emphasized that sugar prices must remain stable and directed the establishment of a cabinet committee to monitor prices, with instructions to halt exports if prices threaten to rise.
The cabinet was briefed on the rapid progress of privatizing state institutions, particularly Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), with bidding scheduled for the first week of August. The Prime Minister called for a swift, transparent privatization process.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also discussed efforts to steer the economy towards stability, focusing on boosting domestic exports through small and medium-sized enterprises and eliminating elite privileges. He stressed the government’s commitment to economic security and equal development opportunities for all citizens.
Additionally, the cabinet permitted the transit of a container with truck parts from Karachi to Kabul for the United Nations World Food Program in Afghanistan, as a one-time humanitarian gesture.
Regarding Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, the Prime Minister addressed circulating misconceptions, clarifying that it is not a new armed operation but an intensification of existing intelligence-based operations.
He described Azm-e-Istehkam as a comprehensive national strategy for long-term stability, aiming to eliminate terrorism, crime, and violent extremism.
On the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, the cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding between Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance.
The federal government extended the tenure of the implementation committee for the immovable property of the Emir of Bahawalpur until March 2025, following the division’s recommendation and the Supreme Court’s orders.
Moreover, the cabinet appointed the Executive Director of the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) and approved the National Economic Council (NEC) annual report for the financial year 2022-23, prepared by the Ministry of Planning Division, for presentation in Parliament.
The cabinet ratified decisions from the Economic Coordination Committee’s meeting on June 13, 2024, the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases’ meeting on June 11, 2024, and the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises’ meeting on June 20, 2024. The Prime Minister also urged ministers to be present during the Budget 2024-25 debate in Parliament.
