Government plans to impose 15-25% duty on solar gear imports
NEW DELHI: The government is planning to impose a basic customs duty in the range of 20-25% on imported solar modules from August 1, which would eventually be raised to 40% a year, power and renewable energy minister R K Singh said.
For solar cells, the customs duty will start with a 15% levy this August, and will be raised to 30%, Singh said in a video news conference, in which he also spoke about the need to reduce imports in the “sensitive” power sector and the attempts to sabotage customer-friendly reforms by vested interests.
He said the power sector would be made financially viable with new rules and amendments to the law, making it consumer friendly and limiting cross-subsidies, but vested interests were spreading “canards” that the Centre would usurp the powers of the states and interfere in appointing regulators, although no such move is in the offing.
