PM Shehbaz Sharif orders withdrawing taxes on solar energy equipment

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered to withdraw sales tax on solar energy equipment immediately after stressing the need to focus on projects of alternate energy, ARY News reported on Friday.

PM Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing officials of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) in Karachi today, said that the 17 per cent sale tax on solar energy equipment should be withdrawn immediately.

He ordered Finance Minister Miftah Ismail to make an announcement regarding the withdrawal of sales tax.

Miftah Ismail, who was also present at the KCCI event, assured the premier of ending the sales tax.

PM Sharif said that Pakistan could not bear the expenses worth $20 billion on oil and gas. He stressed the need to focus on projects of alternate energy to deal with electricity shortage. He said we have ample resources of solar and wind that can resolve our electricity issues.

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The premier said that he would have saluted the previous government if it take effective steps to shift to solar energy projects.

PM Shehbaz Sharif has blamed the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for providing zero relief to the common man during its 3.5-year tenure.

He told the economists to give their opinion to improve the current economic situation. PM Sharif said that he came to Karachi to know the real issues of the national economy instead of just political point-scoring.

He said that Pakistan is having a huge burden of loans. The previous government had acquired Rs22,000 billion in loans and overall 80% of loans were increased during the last 3.5 years.

He also blamed the PTI government for loadshedding, saying if the power outages were ended in the country then why it is started again. He also questioned the PTI government to provide expenditure details of Rs22,000 billion loans.

“I have imposed a ban on luxury items. We have not increased duty. It is a difficult phase and we have to sacrifice ourselves first.”

The premier said that the rupee will soon get stabilised. He said that businessmen are the great architects of Pakistan and if they wanted to change the fate of Pakistan then it will definitely happen, otherwise, the crisis situation will never change.