Electric Vehicle policy to open new vistas of business, employment in country: Amin Aslam.

ISLAMABAD -- Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Tuesday said the federal cabinet had approved electric vehicle policy that would open new vistas of business and employment.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the electric vehicle policy had offered special incentives to automobile manufacturers.

'Prime Minister Imran Khan has special interest in green and sustainable development and gave the task to Ministry of Climate Change to come up with an Electric Vehicle Policy,' he said.

According to global estimate, around 20 percent of green house gas emissions were mainly due to transport means whereas in Pakistan it was 40 percent owing to vehicular emissions, he added.

Amin said electric vehicles had four key benefits including: decline in environmental degradation and ambient air pollution like the smog issue in Lahore mainly perpetrated through automobile emissions.

'Electric motorbikes, rickshaws and cars make 70 percent less pollution and are a cheap source of transportation. The cost of running electric vehicle is 1/3 of a fuel run automobile. The import bill of the country mostly comprised of oil where 30 percent conversion of existing automobiles to electric vehicles will reduce its volume and help save US$2billion,' the adviser said.

The target set for next four years was to convert 100,000 cars and 500,000 two and three wheeler vehicles on electric cars,he added.

To a question, he said there was only one percent duty on battery run vehicles spare parts which at present was 25 percent as there was no concept of these means of transportation before, adding 'One percent general sales tax is being introduced on locally manufactured electric cars, motorbikes and...