ISLAMABAD: The government’s decision of abolishing customs duty on imported batteries and equipment used for solar system faced opposition in Senate.
JUI-F Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood opposed the government’s step for the promotion of clean energy in the country.
Senator Talha objected to the proposal and said that the import of batteries would flood the market and edge out the local manufacturers. The batteries are used in vehicles, telephone exchanges, solar panels and more importantly in homes and offices as alternate to grid electricity supply in times of loadshedding.
PML-N Senator Saud Majeed lamented that the committee should not have again discussed the issue after supporting the government proposal a day earlier.
Their produced batteries are of very low quality, as four locally produced batteries are equal to one imported battery and “we should not punish the consumers,” said Senator Majeed after Senator Talha left the venue.
“I agree that the parliamentarians should not bring their personal business matters at the committee forum”, said Senator Ayehsa Raza Farooq of the PML-N.
The representatives of steel melters publicly accused the FBR in presence of Senators for favouring influential and politically connected owners of illegal melting units saying that four such persons from Lahore were obliging the FBR officers so the tax machinery would not take action against illegal units working in steel melting sector.
