The Punjab government has signed an agreement with a Chinese solar company to establish a solar panel manufacturing and assembly plant in the province. The contract was facilitated by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) under the Rising Pakistan project. The agreement was signed by Punjab’s Minister of Industries and Commerce, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, and AIKO’s South Pacific Region President, Alex Heng.
During the signing ceremony, the provincial minister emphasized that AIKO’s new solar panel factory will not only serve the local market but will also contribute to exports. He also mentioned that several other foreign companies have expressed interest in investing in Punjab’s solar energy sector.
Chaudhry Shafay Hussain also revealed that the provincial government is planning to collaborate with energy companies to convert 7,000 tube wells to solar power. Additionally, the Punjab government intends to provide solar panels to low-income households.
The government recently launched a scheme to provide solar panels to citizens who consume up to 500 units of electricity, offering them on easy installment plans as of August 14. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has instructed that the solar panel financing scheme be simplified and expedited. Secretary Energy Naeem Rauf provided a detailed briefing on the scheme.
A pilot project for the Chief Minister’s Solar Panel Financing Scheme has begun, with the performance and readings of installed solar panel systems being monitored at various locations. The Solar PV App is also being used for online monitoring of these solar systems.
