Recently a high-level meeting was arranged to get a definitive answer on what to be included in the upcoming electric vehicles (EV) policy. The meeting included discussions on providing an incentive package to electric buses and two- and three-wheeler electric vehicles. The proposal for this incentive package will be submitted to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to get approval. This inter-ministerial meeting was chaired by the advisor on climate change to the Prime Minister, Amin Aslam. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Pakistan Auto Parts Manufacturers Association (Papaam), Ministry of Industry & Production and Engineering Development Board (EDB). The major focus of this meeting was centered around the import of two- and three-wheeler electric vehicles, availability for spare parts, and the eventual manufacturing in Pakistan. All the proposals will be sent to the Economic Coordinating Committee (ECC) for approval. The stakeholders called upon the government to hold more consultation meetings on the introduction of four-wheel electric vehicles in Pakistan.
Standardization was also another topic of discussion in the meeting. The meeting decided to form a sub-committee that will draft the parameters for standardization. This sub-committee will also make recommendations to the Economic Coordinating Committee (ECC) on two- and three-wheeler electric vehicles. The meeting also directed the Ministry of Industry & Production to hold due consultations will the AIDC and Pakistan Auto Parts Manufacturers Association (Papaam) and submit recommendations on two- and three-wheel electric vehicles in a week and on four-wheel vehicles in 15 days.
The advisor to the Prime Minister on climate change stated that the government is expediting the process of implementing the EV policy. He further added that the EV policy would open new venues for the economy of Pakistan. He went on to state that the main focus of the EV policy will be to encourage the local production of electric vehicles in Pakistan. For the future, the advisor also invited the AIDC and other relevant stakeholders to hold consultations on the time frame and to formulate an incentive structure for the ECC.
The meeting also emphasized the need to train people through technical training programs and capacity-building exercises for the electric vehicle (EV) sector. This was suggested by the representatives of the Pakistan Engineering Council. This will create a skilled workforce to maintain the EV sector as it is crucial for the long-term success of this sector in Pakistan. After-sales services account for a lot and help in customer retention. The incentive structure for two- and three-wheel EVs will be based on a time frame rather than the number of EVs. The incentive program 10 percent customs duty on two and three-wheelers according to the representatives of the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR).
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