ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that encouraging the use of electric vehicles (EVs) will help save billions of dollars in valuable foreign exchange spent on fuel, support environmental protection efforts, and promote the local industry.
Chairing a meeting on encouraging usage of electric vehicles in the country, the prime minister directed to prepare a comprehensive government-level action plan to make electric vehicles accessible to the common citizen.
He announced that the federal government will provide electric bikes to top-performing students of all educational boards across the country including the federal board.
He further stated that unemployed individuals will be provided with electric rickshaws and loaders on priority, to support employment generation.
The prime minister instructed that concrete steps be taken to establish a complete ecosystem for the manufacturing and maintenance of electric vehicles in the country.
He also ordered third-party validation of the entire process of EV distribution and the government support mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability.
Highlighting the need for inclusivity, the prime minister emphasized that economically disadvantaged individuals should be prioritized in the government-supported electric vehicle schemes.
He further directed the launch of a public awareness campaign to educate citizens about the government assistance programs for obtaining electric vehicles.
To ensure safety and performance, the prime minister instructed that the electric bikes, rickshaws, and loaders to be provided under the proposed scheme must meet high-quality and safety standards.
A briefing was given in the meeting regarding the current status of the industry in the country related to the manufacturing of electric vehicles and the government’s supportive measures to make them accessible to the common people. It was informed in the meeting that the government was taking steps to facilitate the acquisition of electric bikes, rickshaws, and loaders through low-cost loans and easy terms.
More than 100,000 electric bikes and over 300,000 and loaders will be made available to the public under easy loans and at low costs through government support.
The meeting was informed that under this scheme, students who perform well at the intermediate level in educational boards across the country, including the federal board, will be provided free electric bikes.
It was also informed that a special quota of 25% had been allocated for women in this scheme, while the remaining quota had been distributed among the provinces based on population ratios.
The prime minister directed to increase Balochistan’s quota up to 10%.
Furthermore, the meeting was informed that due to this scheme, four new battery manufacturing companies were commencing operations in the country, which will create new business opportunities and employment in Pakistan.
The prime minister instructed to ensure the timely launch of this scheme based on these proposals.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Chief Coordinator Mosharraf Zaidi, and other senior officials.
