ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Commit­tee on Industries and Production on Thursday proposed the installation of charging units for electric vehicles at every fuel station to promote eco-friendly transport.

The committee chairman, Senator Aon Abbas, expressed concern over the regulatory mechanism of the new energy and renewal energy.

“Who is controlling the prices of solar panels? And who is disrupting the balance of demand and supply?”

Senator Abbas said that individuals were installing solar panels at their discretion without proper regulation.

The committee was informed by the officials of the energy ministry that the government was promoting solarisation in the country.

Mr Abbas emphasised that the issue of taxes on local manufacturing of solar panels would be raised in the Senate.

He expressed confidence that the government would eliminate taxes on local solar panel manufacturing and impose duties on the import of solar panels to support the local industry.

The committee also discussed the Electric Vehicle Policy, and the Engineering Development Board (EDB) officials assured the committee that charging stations would be accessible to everyone.

The committee was informed that 93 per cent of mobile phones used in the country were produced locally, and the localisation efforts have created more than 40,000 jobs in the mobile sets manufacturing sector.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2025