The government will pass a law on rooftop solar power generation in the next session of Parliament, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood said on Saturday.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion organized by the New Age newspaper in the capital, the minister said the government was giving priority to solar power to strengthen the country’s energy security and ease pressure on conventional energy sources.
He said the energy and power crisis triggered by the prevailing global situation would not be resolved overnight, but the government was making continuous efforts to keep energy and electricity supplies at manageable levels.
The minister said the government was committed to tackling the crisis caused by the ongoing conflicts around the world, particularly the war in the Middle East, and maintaining stability in the country’s overall energy situation.
He said the government had been compelled to provide subsidies where necessary to reduce the burden of the energy crisis on consumers and protect public interests.
As an elected and responsible government, ensuring uninterrupted electricity and gas supplies to citizens was one of its key responsibilities, he said, adding that the government remained committed to maintaining normal energy supplies under all circumstances.
Iqbal Hassan said the government had also taken initiatives to establish additional Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs) or floating LNG terminals, considering future demand and the need to address supply shortages.
He said the government had launched a domestic rooftop solar programme in Bhaluka to encourage households to adopt solar power.
Responding to a question about the quality of solar panels, the minister said the government was alert and active in ensuring quality control of solar products available in the domestic market.
He said the government would maintain strict monitoring to protect consumers’ interests.
The minister said instructions had already been issued to local government institutions, health authorities and district administrations to use solar power systems.
Around 8,600 service providers have already been enlisted to install solar systems at the local level, he said.
Solar power was also creating new employment opportunities in the country, he added.
The minister said the government was standing by the people and making all-out efforts to safeguard the country’s overall energy security.