UNISAME URGES MANDATORY USE OF ALTERNATE ENERGY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTIONS

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged the government to make installation of alternate energy system of solar,wind or biomass mandatory for all new construction of houses, commercial buildings and factories to save electricity in view of satisfactory and successful reports from alternate energy users from all over Pakistan.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the new houses, commercial buildings and factories be given a choice to install solar, wind or biomass systems and urged the government to make it mandatory for them to install alternate energy systems.

He said the government needs to encourage the use of alternate energy generation systems and make it affordable by exempting the alternate energy systems from all import duties.

Secondly he also urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to offer subsidized finance for installation of alternate energy systems of solar, wind or biomass. It is pertinent to note that SBP is giving finance at subsidized rate for the installation of big units for energy generation wind mills but must give this facility for small to medium sized systems also to facilitate the SMEs to install system of their choice.

Thirdly he impressed upon the government to offer leasing facilities for the installation of alternate energy systems for the SMEs on easy repayment terms to enable them repay over a period of 3 to 5 years on easy installments.

The union has stressed the need for installation of biomass gasification plants for many industries where the units have their own husk, waste and resources of biomass.

The union emphasized the need for encouragement and initiative on the part of trade associations, non government organizations and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) and the Engineering Development Board (EDB) to come forward and play the leading role and promote the installation of alternate energy systems as the country has ample sunlight, wind corridors and resources of biomass which can be used to generate energy and make the SME units self sufficient for their energy requirements at affordable cost.

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