Islamabad, June 17, 2025: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Tuesday rejected a proposal to impose an 18% sales tax on imported solar panels, siding with public interest over the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) concerns.
The committee unanimously turned down the suggested tax, which would have applied to imported photovoltaic cells and panels.
The FBR had pushed for the measure, arguing that some solar imports were being misused and alleging possible instances of money laundering.
Officials from the tax authority also claimed that local solar manufacturers were already paying the tax, while imported panels were entering the market duty-free, a gap they said put domestic producers at a disadvantage.
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Despite these arguments, lawmakers remained firm in their stance.
They stressed that solar technology must remain affordable for consumers, especially at a time when households and businesses alike are turning to alternative energy sources to combat rising power costs and load-shedding.
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“The public should not be penalized for choosing clean energy,” one committee member noted, emphasizing that policy should support, not restrict, solar adoption.
The proposal’s rejection ensures imported solar panels will remain free from GST, a decision likely to be welcomed by both installers and end-users nationwide.
