Energy Minister Promises Tax Relief for Rooftop Solar Installations
The government has taken a step to increase rooftop solar power generation. The aim is to cut the cost of power generation during the global energy crisis. Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Mr. Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said people who install solar power panels on their house roofs will get a tax rebate. The government also plans to create new jobs and business chances through this step, along with more use of alternative energy.
The minister spoke to journalists at the Secretariat yesterday. He said the government will arrange a tax rebate for those who install solar panels on house roofs. He said steps have been taken to make the needed law. He hopes the law on rooftop solar power generation will pass in the next session of parliament.
The minister said the budget kept for buying fuel to meet the country’s power demand is almost finished. In this situation, the government is giving importance to solar power as an alternative source of power. He said that if the unused roofs of homes, commercial buildings and various institutions can be used to raise power generation, the pressure on the national grid will go down.
He said that if the chance for rooftop solar power generation grows, it will not only raise power generation. It will also create new economic activity. Young entrepreneurs in the country will get a chance to do business in this sector. New jobs will open up in services such as installing and maintaining solar panels and supplying parts. So along with the growth of renewable energy, the chance for young people to become entrepreneurs will also grow.
Describing the overall condition of the energy sector, the minister said the government has to decide to collect different types of fuel, considering the people’s demand for power. But he said setting up an LNG terminal is a challenging matter. The government is working on it, considering the needed infrastructure, investment and other related issues.
People concerned believe that if the tax rebate for rooftop solar power is carried out, private investment in the country’s renewable energy sector may grow. They say that if the chance for solar power generation on the roofs of homes and commercial buildings in urban areas can be used well, the demand for power from the national grid during the day can come down a little.
Experts say solar power is becoming an important option for Bangladesh, as the global fossil fuel market is unstable and the cost of imported fuel is rising. If the new government step works well, it may reduce pressure on fuel for power generation. It may also make the way easier to expand the use of renewable energy.
