FBR Should Alleviate Tax on Import of EVs: Minister

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has asked the Federal Board of Revenue to alleviate sales tax on the import of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to a mere five percent. According to the minister, such a step will encourage the citizens and companies to import more environment-friendly vehicles in the country.

It must be worth mentioning that Mr. Chaudhry had remained one of the primary supporters of EVs in the country when he was in charge of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

FBR Should Alleviate Tax on Import of EVs: Minister

While talking to Dawn, Mr. Fawad said Pakistan was one of those countries that took lead in the introduction and implementation of the new and futuristic technologies. It is evident through the presence of a large number of EVs currently running in the country. He said,

It is unfortunate that the existing auto sector has been opposing the EV Policy, but as the technology is growing, high-performance batteries are likely to be introduced by December this year with the capacity to travel up to 1,200 kilometers in a single charging.

Furthermore, he added that this step would not only add to the diversity in the automotive sector but also minimize dependency on imported petrol. Consequently, it would help in limiting environmental hazards. The minister also appreciated the private sector’s step to meet the requirement of providing fuel to the EVs traveling between Lahore and Islamabad.

After the oil marketing companies, the private sector has begun to set up EV charging points across the country. Though there is no specific regulator for the charging points and uncertainty lingers among various ministries in this regard.

As the number of electric vehicles is ramping up in the country, the two biggest oil marketing companies (OMCs) in Pakistan including the state-owned Pakistan State Oil along with Shell Pakistan have already set up charging points for the EVs.

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