97 percent of the mobile phones used by Pakistanis are made domestically, according to Almas Haider, Chairman of the Engineering Development Board (EDB). Except for one brand, all mobile phones are made in-country.
At a session on alternative energy sources hosted by the EDB and titled “Solar panel and allied equipment production policies,” he made the comments.
A $1.25 million order for the first batch of mobile phones to be exported has been placed with EDB, he added. He stated that EDB is engaged in the localization of solar panels.
The government is establishing a comprehensive policy for the solar business, according to federal minister for industries and production Murtaza Mehmood. This policy calls for the conversion of agricultural tube wells and public buildings to solar power.
A federal minister noted that a national evaluation indicated that Pakistan’s demand for solar energy (including off-grid and on-grid) was expected to be approximately 4 GW in 2022 and to rise to about 6-7 GW in the following two years. With such a high demand, he continued, “It was important to seek for alternatives to promote and incentivize local manufacturing of solar panels and related equipment.
The minister stated that by reducing charges and taxes on imported solar panels, Pakistan could begin the process of local manufacture with assembly in the first phase. Pakistan also has stockpiles of essential raw materials for producing solar wafers.
After that, he said that a 5-year plan was required to further streamline the tax and tariff system in order to give local manufacturers a level playing field.
According to him, the current administration wants to encourage the country’s move towards solar energy by providing incentives like tax breaks and the duty-free import of equipment and plants.
Furthermore, according to Murtaza Mehmood, Pakistan’s solar sector cannot compete with that of China since solar panels are produced there more cheaply.
He urged the private sector to be competitive in the global marketplace while stating that the government is focused on removing barriers for regional businesses.
Source: https://pakistantimez.com/chairman-edb-97-of-pakistanis-mobile-phones-are-local-pakistan-timez/