SAPM highlights plan for zero transport emissions
ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Friday, while highlighting the government's plan to reach net zero transport emissions by 2060 has reaffirmed the government's commitment for sustainability, for innovation and industrial competitiveness.
Addressing the dissemination workshop on New Energy Vehicle Policy 2025-30, he said: 'This policy aims to enable 30 percent of all new vehicles to be electric by 2030, and the ambition of reaching net zero transport emissions by 2060.'
He said that for the skill development National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) also coordinating to train around 10,000 apprentices. The policy ensures that citizens are not just consumers, but beneficiaries. Buyers are protected through a new legal framework covering information transparency, currency risk sharing, and performance guarantees.
This transition is projected to save 2.07 billion litres of fuel annually, amounting to nearly $1 billion in foreign exchange savings. Additionally, the policy is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 4.5 million tons and cut healthcare-related costs by $405 million per year.
The government had already issued 61 licenses for manufacturing of motorbikes and three-wheelers while two licenses for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Many international companies are interested in energy vehicle investment in the country. He emphasised that the policy is not just an environmental commitment but also an economic imperative.
Moreover, the policy enables the productive use of 126 TWh of surplus electricity, which would otherwise go to waste. To encourage adoption, the government is offering consumer subsidies including: Rs65,000 for electric two-wheelers, Rs400,000 for electric three-wheelers and Rs15,000 per kilowatt-hour for electric four-wheelers besides supporting and funding installation of electric charging stations. Additionally, 40 fast-charging stations are expected to become operational on highways by the end of 2025, improving infrastructure for EV users.
Akhtar also announced that provinces are being encouraged to offer free NEV registration to support nationwide adoption. He emphasised the policy's role in promoting industrial growth and local manufacturing, noting that 57 local manufacturing certificates have been issued and over 90 percent localisation has already been achieved in electric motorcycles and rickshaws. International players are showing growing interest in Pakistan's NEV sector, which Akhtar described as a positive signal for foreign investment and technology transfer.
The policy is built on following five key pillars: (i) Subsidies for consumers; (ii) Tariff protections for local industry; (iii) Infrastructure development including charging stations;(iv) Quality and safety standards aligned with global benchmarks, and (v) Institutional support and regulatory frameworks.
Haroon Akhtar concluded by reaffirming the government's commitment to a sustainable transport system that is equitable, forward-looking, and globally competitive. The country faced dual challenge of greenhouse gas emissions while energising its industrial base. Transport accounts for a significant share of our emissions, while our energy and manufacturing sectors remain underutilised in key value chains.
The NEV policy brings these two realities together, not as a problem, but as a platform and a national opportunity. The NEV policy is a smart industrial strategy which not simply subsidise, it prioritises accountability, technological advancement, and market fairness which based on five main pillars.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
SAPM highlights Pakistan's plan for zero transport emissions
ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Friday, while highlighting the government's plan to reach net zero transport emissions by 2060 has reaffirmed the government's commitment for sustainability, for innovation and industrial competitiveness. Addressing the dissemination workshop on New Energy Vehicle Policy 2025-30, he said: 'This policy aims to enable 30 percent of all new vehicles to be electric by 2030, and the ambition of reaching net zero transport emissions by 2060.' He said that for the skill development National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) also coordinating to train around 10,000 apprentices. The policy ensures that citizens are not just consumers, but beneficiaries. Buyers are protected through a new legal framework covering information transparency, currency risk sharing, and performance guarantees. This transition is projected to save 2.07 billion litres of fuel annually, amounting to nearly $1 billion in foreign exchange savings. Additionally, the policy is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 4.5 million tons and cut healthcare-related costs by $405 million per year. The government had already issued 61 licenses for manufacturing of motorbikes and three-wheelers while two licenses for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Many international companies are interested in energy vehicle investment in the country. He emphasised that the policy is not just an environmental commitment but also an economic imperative. Moreover, the policy enables the productive use of 126 TWh of surplus electricity, which would otherwise go to waste. To encourage adoption, the government is offering consumer subsidies including: Rs65,000 for electric two-wheelers, Rs400,000 for electric three-wheelers and Rs15,000 per kilowatt-hour for electric four-wheelers besides supporting and funding installation of electric charging stations. Additionally, 40 fast-charging stations are expected to become operational on highways by the end of 2025, improving infrastructure for EV users. Akhtar also announced that provinces are being encouraged to offer free NEV registration to support nationwide adoption. He emphasised the policy's role in promoting industrial growth and local manufacturing, noting that 57 local manufacturing certificates have been issued and over 90 percent localisation has already been achieved in electric motorcycles and rickshaws. International players are showing growing interest in Pakistan's NEV sector, which Akhtar described as a positive signal for foreign investment and technology transfer. The policy is built on following five key pillars: (i) Subsidies for consumers; (ii) Tariff protections for local industry; (iii) Infrastructure development including charging stations;(iv) Quality and safety standards aligned with global benchmarks, and (v) Institutional support and regulatory frameworks. Haroon Akhtar concluded by reaffirming the government's commitment to a sustainable transport system that is equitable, forward-looking, and globally competitive. The country faced dual challenge of greenhouse gas emissions while energising its industrial base. Transport accounts for a significant share of our emissions, while our energy and manufacturing sectors remain underutilised in key value chains. The NEV policy brings these two realities together, not as a problem, but as a platform and a national opportunity. The NEV policy is a smart industrial strategy which not simply subsidise, it prioritises accountability, technological advancement, and market fairness which based on five main pillars. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Elite clubs come under tax ambit
Listen to article The government's plan to ban economic transactions by ineligible persons from the start of new fiscal year has faced a setback, as a National Assembly panel found the online portal being developed to determine the eligibility criteria for carrying economic transactions was far from the finishing line. National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance Chairman Syed Naveed Qamar gave his critical post-review assessment on Friday after reviewing the government's much-trumpeted plan to catch tax evaders. The committee, nonetheless, supported the government's proposal to impose income tax on the earnings of elite recreational clubs, like Islamabad Club and Guns and Country Club that charge more than Rs1 million membership fees. Work on the online platform is far from the finishing line, said Naveed Qamar, a day after he and other committee members took a briefing of the new system in a visit to the Federal Board of Revenue headquarter. The statement made by the chairman after reviewing the system shows that FBR has failed to develop a credible online system. The government has proposed to ban economic transactions by those whose assets and wealth statements do not support buying a plot, a car, invest in securities or maintaining bank accounts. The committee had linked the approval of the powers with the FBR's ability to develop a system that is free from the exploitation of the taxpayers. The FBR had earlier promised to develop this system by April this year. The FBR's briefing showed that it was merely a prototype system that cannot be described fully functional and does not have the ability to achieve the intended purposes, said Usama Mela, the member of the standing committee and the PTI MNA. In his post-budget press conference, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had warned that if the Parliament did not approve the proposed amendments, the government may have to impose Rs400 billion to Rs500 billion in new tax measures. But his organization has not developed a trustworthy system. There is still a chance that the National Assembly committee will approve these amendments but their enforcement will be linked with the development of a credible online platform. The new system determining the eligibility criteria of taxpayers to undertake economic transactions would not be enforced from July 1st, the Chairman FBR Rashid Langrial told the standing committee. He further explained that the current system will continue until a new system is put in place. The government has already proposed in the law that these new conditions will take effect after the approval of the federal government. The chairman of the standing committee proposed that initially the FBR should apply the new system to a set of taxpayers instead of fully rolling it out. The chairman FBR agreed to the recommendation. The government has proposed that only those people can buy cars, plots, invest in securities who have sufficient declared white legal resources to buy these assets and maintain bank accounts According to the bill, the ineligible persons would not be allowed to withdraw cash from their bank accounts beyond a certain limit. However, it gives certain relaxations to them, including the freedom to procure up to 800cc vehicles, buses, trucks and tractors and invest in shares up to a certain limit. The new system was conceived by Rashid Langrial in order to collect due taxes from people, either filers or non-filers. An eligible person can make major purchases of up to 130% of the value of cash and assets, declared in his last tax return and the wealth statement or he can justify any new source. Recreational Clubs The FBR informed the standing committee about an amendment in the law to capture the incomes of the elite clubs, which are exempted from paying income tax. The government has proposed to exclude these recreational clubs charging over Rs1 million for the membership fee from the purview of the non-profitable organizations. The Islamabad Club is very much coming in the tax net, said Muhammad Aurangzeb. The club had been built as a recreational facility for the bureaucrats and diplomats. Over the years, its fee was exorbitantly increased to many millions of rupees. Its membership is being offered to only the richest or the influential people, denying others from availing facilities being built on the state land. The standing committee also rejected a government budget proposal of indirectly charging income tax from the farmers despite their income cannot be taxed by the federal government.
Business Recorder
7 hours ago
- Business Recorder
SAPM highlights plan for zero transport emissions
ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Friday, while highlighting the government's plan to reach net zero transport emissions by 2060 has reaffirmed the government's commitment for sustainability, for innovation and industrial competitiveness. Addressing the dissemination workshop on New Energy Vehicle Policy 2025-30, he said: 'This policy aims to enable 30 percent of all new vehicles to be electric by 2030, and the ambition of reaching net zero transport emissions by 2060.' He said that for the skill development National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) also coordinating to train around 10,000 apprentices. The policy ensures that citizens are not just consumers, but beneficiaries. Buyers are protected through a new legal framework covering information transparency, currency risk sharing, and performance guarantees. This transition is projected to save 2.07 billion litres of fuel annually, amounting to nearly $1 billion in foreign exchange savings. Additionally, the policy is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 4.5 million tons and cut healthcare-related costs by $405 million per year. The government had already issued 61 licenses for manufacturing of motorbikes and three-wheelers while two licenses for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. Many international companies are interested in energy vehicle investment in the country. He emphasised that the policy is not just an environmental commitment but also an economic imperative. Moreover, the policy enables the productive use of 126 TWh of surplus electricity, which would otherwise go to waste. To encourage adoption, the government is offering consumer subsidies including: Rs65,000 for electric two-wheelers, Rs400,000 for electric three-wheelers and Rs15,000 per kilowatt-hour for electric four-wheelers besides supporting and funding installation of electric charging stations. Additionally, 40 fast-charging stations are expected to become operational on highways by the end of 2025, improving infrastructure for EV users. Akhtar also announced that provinces are being encouraged to offer free NEV registration to support nationwide adoption. He emphasised the policy's role in promoting industrial growth and local manufacturing, noting that 57 local manufacturing certificates have been issued and over 90 percent localisation has already been achieved in electric motorcycles and rickshaws. International players are showing growing interest in Pakistan's NEV sector, which Akhtar described as a positive signal for foreign investment and technology transfer. The policy is built on following five key pillars: (i) Subsidies for consumers; (ii) Tariff protections for local industry; (iii) Infrastructure development including charging stations;(iv) Quality and safety standards aligned with global benchmarks, and (v) Institutional support and regulatory frameworks. Haroon Akhtar concluded by reaffirming the government's commitment to a sustainable transport system that is equitable, forward-looking, and globally competitive. The country faced dual challenge of greenhouse gas emissions while energising its industrial base. Transport accounts for a significant share of our emissions, while our energy and manufacturing sectors remain underutilised in key value chains. The NEV policy brings these two realities together, not as a problem, but as a platform and a national opportunity. The NEV policy is a smart industrial strategy which not simply subsidise, it prioritises accountability, technological advancement, and market fairness which based on five main pillars. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
