Parliamentary committees reject proposal to impose 18pc sales tax on solar panels
Pakistan
The meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance was held in the federal capital
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The National Assembly and Senate Standing Committees on Finance have firmly rejected the proposal to impose an 18 percent sales tax on solar panels, terming it unacceptable amid rising energy costs and public concern.
The meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance was held in the federal capital under the chairmanship of Syed Naveed Qamar.
Members of the committee held a detailed discussion on various aspects of the recently presented federal budget.
During the session, the committee unanimously opposed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) suggestion to impose a sales tax on solar panels.
The committee chairman stated that all political parties represented in Parliament were against the move to tax solar energy products, which are increasingly being adopted by households and businesses as an alternative to costly electricity.
Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, responding to the objections, said that some of the committee’s recommendations had been noted for review.
Meanwhile, Naveed Qamar confirmed that the committee had unanimously rejected the FBR’s proposal to levy 18 per cent sales tax on solar panels.
In a separate session, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance also rejected the same proposal, reinforcing Parliament’s unified stance on protecting the affordability and accessibility of renewable energy.
